S Korea holds firing drill despite N Korea threat

SEOUL: South Korean troops Monday began a live-fire artillery exercise near the disputed Yellow Sea border with North Korea despite the North's threats of "merciless" retaliation, officials said.

The defence ministry said the Marine Corps - which guards "frontline" islands near the flashpoint border - began the exercise at about 10 am (0100 GMT) and it would last one to two hours.

Military officials said the routine drill, their second this year, would involve self-propelled howitzers, Vulcan cannon, mortars and Cobra attack helicopters.

About 1,400 civilians living on the islands were evacuated to bomb shelters during the drill, a local official said.

The North was notified of the scheduled exercise at the border truce village of Panmunjom on Sunday.

Hours afterwards its military vowed "merciless retaliatory strikes" if any shells land in waters claimed by Pyongyang.

It said Seoul "should not forget the lesson" of the bombardment of Yeonpyeong island in November 2010, which killed four South Koreans.

The North said that attack was in retaliation for a live-fire exercise which dropped shells into waters which Pyongyang considers part of its maritime territory. (AFP)