North and South Korea say they exchanged warning shots near a disputed area off their west coast, the latest flareup of military tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea’s military said it fired warning shots at a North Korean merchant ship that crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto Korean sea border, at 3:42 a.m. Monday.
About 90 minutes later, North Korea fired 10 shells from a multiple rocket launcher system in response to a South Korean military vessel that crossed the border, according to a North Korean military statement posted on state media.
Seoul says Monday’s incident occurred near Baengnyeong, a heavily militarized frontline island controlled by South Korea. According to South Korea’s military, the North Korean ship returned northward after the warning.
