The South Korean military says North Korea fired over 10 artillery rockets into waters off the western coast of the Korean Peninsula on Monday afternoon.
The move coincided with a joint visit by US and South Korean defense chiefs to the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, separating the two Koreas.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Tuesday that North Korea launched the rocket shells toward waters off the northern Yellow Sea at around 4 p.m. on Monday.
South Korean media reports quoted military sources as saying that the rocket launcher system used in the firing was likely a 240 millimeter-multiple rocket launcher believed to have been developed by Pyongyang to put Seoul in target range.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrived in South Korea on Monday on his first visit since assuming the post.
The firing came just before Hegseth and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back were to visit Panmunjom, the Joint Security Area in the DMZ.
North Korea has yet to report on the firing. Meanwhile, a massive joint exercise between South Korean and US air forces began on Monday, fueling speculation that Pyongyang apparently reacted to the increased coordination between Washington and Seoul.
In addition, the South Korean military said it confirmed that North Korea had also fired about 10 artillery rocket shells toward the Yellow Sea on Saturday.
The incident came just before the start of a China-South Korea summit. While the South said the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was part of the summit's agenda, the North released a statement rejecting denuclearization.
It is believed that the repeated launches of rockets and other projectiles by North Korea are intended to deter related countries from discussing the situation of the Korean Peninsula.

Quiz 1:
Which country fired over 10 artillery rockets into waters off its western coast on Monday afternoon?
A. South Korea
B. North Korea
C. United States
D. China

Answers:
Quiz 1: B

Quiz 2:
When did US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth arrive in South Korea for his first visit since assuming the post?
A. Last Monday
B. This past weekend
C. The previous week
D. Three weeks ago

Answers:
Quiz 2: A

Quiz 3:
What was the agenda of the China-South Korea summit, according to South Korean sources?
A. Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula
B. Economic cooperation between the two countries
C. Discussion on military exercises in the region
D. Establishment of a free trade agreement

Answers:
Quiz 3: A