"North Korea Escalates Tensions with Artillery Barrage Near South's Border Amid Joint US-South Korea Drills"

North Korea conducted a maritime artillery exercise, firing 200 rounds near the disputed western sea boundary with South Korea, breaching a 2018 military agreement aimed at reducing tensions. South Korea, citing this as a provocation, plans to respond with its own drills and has urged North Korea to cease such actions. The escalation comes amid predictions of increased weapons testing by North Korea, with tensions likely to rise ahead of South Korea's parliamentary elections and the U.S. presidential election. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has emphasized the importance of military readiness and has ordered an increase in missile launcher vehicle production, signaling a potential ramp-up in military provocations.