YEONPYEONG ISLAND, South Korea – North Korea backed off threats to retaliate against South Korea for military drills Monday and reportedly offered concessions on its nuclear program — signs it was looking to lower the temperature on the Korean peninsula after weeks of soaring tensions.

But Pyongyang has feinted toward conciliation before and failed to follow through.

The North's gestures came after South Korea launched fighter jets, evacuated hundreds of residents near its tense land border with the North and sent residents of islands near disputed waters into underground bunkers in case Pyongyang followed through on its vow to attack over the drills...

The White House condemned North Korea's "belligerent" artillery attack Tuesday against a small South Korean island, a strike that left at least two dead and set dozens of buildings on fire at a tense time between the two countries.

The attack on the island of Yeonpyeong was the latest in an escalating series of provocations from the Communist country that is preparing for a leadership succession. South Korean officials said the North launched the attack after warning the country to halt military drills in the area.

A senior U.S. military official told Fox News the attack was nevertheless "unprovoked." The official said the first shots came from the North Korean side at around 2 p.m. local time -- this prompted an exchange of roughly 200 artillery rounds between the two sides that lasted until around 3:30 p.m...