South Korea's drillsthis week involved aircraft, rocketlaunchersandartillery guns and took place off BaengnyeongIsland, another territory nearthedisputedmaritime border.
He told local commanders in an area near South Korea's BaengnyeongIsland - close to the disputed inter-Korean maritime border and the site of the 2010 sinking of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan - to conduct "merciless firepower strikes" if provoked, KCNA said.