Concerns sharply escalated Friday over the safety of South Korean residents living in the frontline and adjacent areas as Pyongyang threatened to take military actions unless Seoul withdrew its propaganda loudspeaker installed across the border.

The South Korean military has evacuated and moved hundreds of residents from towns along the border to shelters nearby since Thursday to secure their safety amid growing fear about additional provocations from North Korea. 

The list includes about 200 residents in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province, where artillery shells fired by North Korea fell Thursday afternoon. Last October, North Korea fired artillery at Yeoncheon to shoot down balloons carrying propaganda leaflets across the border. South Korea also returned fire. No casualties were reported.

South Korea’s Navy issued an order Friday to ban fishing ships from leaving their harbor at Yeonpyeongdo, Daecheongdo and Baengnyeongdo islands located close to the border. Ships from Ganghwado Island are allowed to catch fish after the ban was lifted earlier Friday.

The government decided to close down cross-border tourist attractions, mostly observatories that allows visitors a rare opportunity to see the reclusive regime. It was the first shutdown since North Korea’s shelling of Yeonpyeongdo Island in 2010.

Concerns also grew over the safety of 924 South Korean citizens visiting or working in North Korean territory.

The Ministry of Unification said 840 people were staying at the North’s border town of Gaeseong and 83 people were in Pyongyang to attend an international soccer match. Officials said Friday afternoon that they have not yet decided whether to bring them back to the South.

Meanwhile, South Koreans who live far away from the border also expressed fears over a possible military clash between the two Koreas. Song Ji-yeon, a 31-year-old office worker in southern Seoul, said that the fear is much stronger this time because it was an artillery attack striking South Korean soil.

“Compared to the previous attack by North Korea on Yeonpyeongdo Island, I think the latest artillery shelling seem to be much more threatening. What happened at Yeonpyeongdo comes off as an incident from a remote area, whereas the incident literally involves artillery literally being fired at us across the DMZ,” said Song.

Mindful of mounting public fear, South Korea’s Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Friday urged Cabinet members to “prioritize” public safety and directed them to check on safety facilities in cross-border villages.

“The government’s priority should be securing public safety. While preventing the public from being caught up with fear unnecessarily, I need Cabinet members to do their utmost to ensure the safety of those living in cross-border towns and maintain robust work ethics,” Hwang said.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)