South Korean military members protest amid growing tensions with North Korea

Seoul, South Korea -- Members of the South Korean military protested on the streets of the nation's capital Saturday, stating they were angry that their country's government had not done enough to respond to recent shelling by North Korea.

One group of protesters gathered near the defense ministry building Saturday. The crowd clashed with police officers, some charging and kicking officers.

The protests come as tensions between the Koreas are growing. On Tuesday, North Korea shelled South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island, killing four South Koreans and 15 injured.

North Korea said the South provoked the attack because shells from a South Korean military drill landed in the North's waters. South Korea was holding its annual Hoguk military drill when the North started its shelling.

The United States is sending the aircraft carrier USS George Washington to join South Korea's forces near the coasts of China and North Korea in a four-day military drill that starts around Sunday noon.

On Friday, China has been criticizing the U.S.-South Korean military exercise.

"We oppose any party to take any military acts in our exclusive economic zone without permission," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in a statement, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.