TENSIONS ran high on the Korean peninsula today as Seoul accused Pyongyang of firing multiple rounds of artillery near their disputed sea border.

North Korea admitted test-firing artillery on Friday, but has denied claims it continued firing over the weekend. 

Public relations chief Kim Yo Jong — sister to hereditary leader Kim Jong Un — said the North had detonated blasting powder to simulate the sound of artillery on Saturday in order to test the South’s military intelligence capability.

“The result was clear as we expected,” Ms Kim said. “They misjudged the blasting sound as the sound of gunfire.

“I cannot but say that [South Koreans] are very pitiful as they entrust security to such blind persons and offer huge taxes to them,” she added. “It is 10 times better to entrust security to a dog with a developed sense of hearing and smell.”

The joint chiefs of staff of South Korea’s military said Ms Kim was lying in order to undermine public confidence in the South’s defences.