North Korea starts firing drill off west coast

North and South Korea traded fire across their disputed maritime border on Monday, with the South's military saying it had responded to shells landing in its waters from a North live-fire drill.

"Some of the shells fired by North Korea dropped in our area and our side responded with fire," a spokesman for the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff told AFP.

There was no indication that either side was firing at any particular target.

On South-Korea-controlled Baengnyeong island, close to the maritime boundary, officials said residents had been taken to shelters as a precaution.

"We are urging all residents to evacuate to shelters right now, and some have already done so," a town hall official on the island told AFP.