South Korea starts naval firing drills, escalating tension

The naval drills are the latest turn of events in a situation that escalated since the North's deadly shelling last month of a front-line South Korean island.

The drills come just before a planned meeting between top US diplomats, South Korea and Japan later on expected to be held in Washington. The meetings will deal with the North's recent aggressive moves, including its expansion of its nuclear program in a manner that could boost its atomic arsenal.

South Korea's army began firing artillery into the waters off the divided Korean peninsula as part of week-long drills set to continue thorough Sunday, South Korean army and Joint Chiefs of Staff officers said.

The officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing internal rules, said the previously scheduled drills were to take place at nearly 30 sites, but none of the exercises were along the disputed western sea border between the Koreas where last month's attack took place. The navy said warships were to join the drills later this week.

South Korea's military and Defense Ministry declined to provide further details on the drills.

Tensions have soared since Nov. 23, when North Korea rained shells on Yeonpyeong Island, killing four South Koreans, including two civilians.

The North said South Korea first fired artillery toward its territorial waters. South Korea says it fired shells southward, not toward North Korea, as part of routine exercises.

Deadly skirmishes occur periodically along the disputed maritime border, but the latest assault on Yeonpyeong, home to both fishing communities and military bases, was the North's first to target a civilian area since the 1950-53 Korean War.