An evacuation order has been issued for residents in Yeoncheon and Paju in Gyeonggi Province, following North Korea's artillery fire at South Korean military loudspeakers across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Thursday afternoon.

Yeoncheon County said Thursday it issued an evacuation order for residents in the townships of Hoengsan-ri and Samgot-ri at around 5:10 p.m.

Another order to prepare for a possible evacuation reportedly has been issued in villages in Paju region that is located within the DMZ.

Out-of-town workers doing farm work near the Civilian Control Line as well as tourists have also been all evacuated from the area.

Yeoncheon County Governor Kim Kyu-sun said officials are closely monitoring the situation and alerting residents in nearby areas of Sinseo-myeon and Jangnam-myeon through broadcast announcements.