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South Korea’s military confirmed it fired warning shots early on Friday to repel a North Korean merchant ship that briefly crossed the disputed western sea boundary between the rival nations.
The vessel breached the Northern Limit Line near the South Korean island of Baengnyeong at approximately 5am. It retreated after South Korean forces issued an audio warning and fired warning shots, the Joint Chiefs of Staff reported.
There were no immediate reports that North Korean forces returned fire or responded with force.
The South Korean military stated its response was carried out in accordance with operational procedures, maintaining a heightened state of readiness to firmly safeguard its territorial waters.
South Korea’s military frequently fires warning shots to repel North Korean patrol or commercial vessels breaching its waters.
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Naval ships sail during a joint naval exercise in South Korea’s East Sea (South Korea Defense Ministry via AP)
This poorly demarcated western sea boundary has been the scene of past skirmishes and attacks, including the North’s 2010 shelling of a South Korean island and its alleged torpedoing of a navy ship, which together killed 50 South Koreans.
During a fiery speech in January 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said his country does not recognise the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea, which was drawn by the U.S.-led U.N. Command at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korea insists on a boundary encroaching deeply into South Korea-controlled waters.
The Koreas exchanged warning shots in 2022 after the South’s navy fired at a North Korean merchant ship that crossed the western sea boundary.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high as North Korea continues to dismiss Seoul’s calls to resume diplomacy. Relations have soured in recent years as Kim accelerated his weapons program and deepened alignment with Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.