South Korean marines fired hundreds of rounds for a maritime live-fire exercise near the disputed western sea border with North Korea on Thursday, deploying artillery systems off Yeonpyeong Island.

The Northwestern Islands Defense Command said the 6th Marine Brigade and the Yeonpyeong Unit carried out their second-quarter live-fire exercise “without incident” in waters south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto inter-Korean maritime boundary in the Yellow Sea.

The “routine and defensive” drills involved K239 Chunmoo multiple launch rocket systems, K9 self-propelled howitzers and other weapons, according to the command. 

Approximately 300 rounds were fired at