The South Korean military said that North Korea conducted artillery firing drills on Thursday.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) announced on Friday that the North Korean military carried out firing drills involving dozens of weapons near the Nampo area from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday.

The JCS said the North’s multiple rocket launchers and self-propelled guns fired shells at a maritime target in the Yellow Sea.

It added that the South Korean military was monitoring and tracking related activities from the beginning, including the training preparation process. 

The JCS also said that it is closely monitoring signs of North Korea’s provocations and military activities, while maintaining a solid South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture and conducting the ongoing Freedom Shield exercise in a substantive manner. 

The JCS reaffirmed that provocations by North Korea will be met by overwhelming and resolute punishment by the South Korean military.