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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Wednesday evening fired three rounds of artillery near its disputed Yellow Sea border with the Republic of Korea (ROK), Yonhap news agency said, in the second such incident in one day.

The agency had received its information from residents, and there was no immediate official confirmation. Earlier on Wednesday, ROK Marines fired warning shots after a DPRK shell landed near the sea border.

An ROK Defense Ministry official said the first rounds of shells fired by the DPRK landed in the waters off Yeonpyeong Island, but it was not clear whether it was inside the ROK's territorial waters. Yonhap said the ROK fired back with its artillery.

"Three shots were heard. One shell landed near the Northern Limit Line (NLL)," Yonhap quoted a military official as saying.

Yeonpyeong Island straddles the contested NLL and was the site of a deadly attack in 2010, the first assault on a civilian area since the Korean War (1950-1953).

ROK officials did not specify where the ROK fired from, but it appeared to be from a marine unit based on the island.

After the initial exchange of fire, an ROK Defense Ministry spokesman said: "The situation is now stable. After we fired back, there was no further response from the DRPK. We are still on alert."

Fishing boats in the vicinity were called to port, and Yeonpyeong residents were evacuated to emergency shelters, media reports said.

The boundary line was the scene of deadly naval clashes in 1999, 2002 and November 2010 when the DPRK shelled Yeonpyeong, killing four people from the ROK, two of them civilians.

The DPRK said it was responding to an ROK artillery drill, which encroached upon its waters.

Wednesday's incident came after the DPRK made apparent peace overtures and expressed interest in restarting the stalled Six-Party Talks.

Questions:

1. How many rounds of artillery was fired by DPRK?

2. When was the Korean War?

3. When did the DPRK shell Yeonpyeong killing four people?

Answers:

1. Three.

2. 1950-53.

3. November 2010.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.