SEOUL, Oct 18 (AFP) - North Korea fired artillery shells off its east and west coasts on Tuesday (Oct 18), the South Korean military said.

The North fired about 100 shells into the sea off its west coast around 10pm local time and shot a further 150 rounds off its east coast, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We strongly urge North Korea to immediately halt its actions," the JCS said in a statement carried by Yonhap.

"North Korea's continued provocations are actions that undermine peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the international community," it added.

North Korea's latest military activity came after South Korean troops kicked off their annual Hoguk defence drills on Monday, designed to boost their ability to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

The drills, due to end on Saturday, are the latest in a series of military exercises by South Korea in recent weeks, including joint activities with the United States and Japan.