S. Korea declares buffer zone is no longer effective after N. Korea fires artillery shells

For the past three days, North Korea has fired artillery shells into waters off its west coast, raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
In response, the South Korean military has declared the buffer zone to prevent accidental clashes is no longer valid.
This could mean the military agreement signed five years ago is practically scrapped.
Our foreign affairs correspondent Bae Eun-ji has our top story.

On September 19th, 2018, the two Koreas signed an inter-Korean military agreement that set up buffer zones for land, air and sea to reduce tensions and prevent accidental clashes.
But following the North's recent provocations, the South Korean military officially declared on Monday that these zones outlined in the agreement are no longer effective.

"North Korea has breached the September 19 military agreement more than 3,000 times. And over the last three days, it has fired artillery shells in the West Sea. As a result, the zone where all hostile activities are banned no longer exists."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff also said the military will not respond to every provocation initiated by North Korea, and instead, conduct firing exercises according to its own schedule.

The maritime buffer zone in the West Sea extends 135 kilometers.
That's 85 kilometers south of the NLL, or the Northern Limit Line that separates the two Koreas, and 50 kilometers north of the line.
There's also a separate buffer zone in the East Sea that spans 80 kilometers.
Provocative actions are prohibited in these zones, including firing artillery shells and coastal guns.
The North had already said last November that it's withdrawing from the pact, and it has rebuilt guard posts inside the DMZ.
With South Korea's announcement on Monday, the agreement is now practically scrapped.

This comes after the South Korean military detected around 90 artillery shots by the North on Sunday afternoon.
North Korea also fired over 200 shells on Friday, and 60 on Saturday.
However, in an attempt to shame the South Korean military's detection capabilities --North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong --claimed the North had not fired a single shell on Saturday, but instead, detonated explosives simulating the sound of artillery fire.
The South Korean military immediately dismissed the statement, calling it a quote "comedy-like propaganda."
In fact, according to military sources, the South Korean military detected the North blowing up explosives only 10 times before and after Saturday's shelling which shows the North's claims are not true.
An expert says the intention behind North Korea's latest provocation is to grab local and international headlines.

"in a world distracted by Gaza and Ukraine, North Korea is saying we're still here, and we're starting the year with these types of artillery rounds. That garners a lot of international attention."