Marine Corps conducts regular live-fire drills on western border islands

K9 propelled howitzers take part in live-fire drills during the regular live-fire drills, June 25. Courtesy of Marine Corps

The Marine Corps said Thursday it staged regular live-fire drills on islands near the tensely guarded inter-Korean maritime border in the Yellow Sea.

The exercise, involving K9 propelled howitzers and Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems, took place on the islands of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border.

The drills, which are defensive in nature, are part of routine exercises held in waters south of the NLL, the Marine Corps said in a release.

During the drills, troops reportedly fired some 330 rounds into surrounding waters, according to officials.

It marked the second such drills this year, after the first session in February.

The live-fire drills were suspended in 2018 under an inter-Korean pact aimed at reducing military tensions. South Korea resumed the drills in 2024 with the suspension of the pact under the previous conservative Yoon Suk Yeol government.

Despite speculation that the drills could again be suspended under the liberal Lee Jae Myung government in line with its plan to gradually restore the inter-Korean military pact, the military has staged live-fire drills near the border islands as scheduled on five occasions since June last year.

The Northwest Islands Defense Command, the unit in charge of security on five islands in the Yellow Sea — Yeonpyeong, Baengnyeong, Daecheong, Socheong and U Island — conducts live-fire drills every three months.