ROK expresses regret over DPRK's artillery firing drills in border island

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea (ROK) expressed regret Monday over the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s artillery firing drills in an inter-Korean border island.

Defense ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo told a press briefing that the artillery firing drills were in violation of the comprehensive military agreement, which the military authorities of the two Koreas agreed to and had been fully implemented.

Choi urged the DPRK to immediately stop all military acts that are feared to escalate military tension in inter-Korean border areas, and to fully comply with the military agreement to prevent the recurrence of such drills.

The comment came after the DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported earlier in the day that top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un inspected a military unit in Changrin island that conducted the live-fire artillery drills.

The Changrin island is located just north of the inter-Korean maritime border.

It was in violation of the military agreement, which was signed by defense chiefs of the two Koreas during the third summit between Kim and ROK's President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang last September.

Under the agreement, ROK and the DPRK agreed to stop all hostile acts in border areas, setting up ground, maritime and air buffer zones to prevent accidental clashes.