SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Warships from North and South Korea have exchanged warning shots.
A South Korean defense official says the incident was triggered by a North Korean ship that briefly violated the two countries’ disputed western sea boundary.
The shots were fired into the sea and there were no reports of injuries and damage to the ships of either side. The South Korean official says the North Korean ship was in South Korea-controlled waters for about 10 minutes before it retreated.
Such exchanges are not uncommon at the sea boundary. North Korean navy ships and fishing boats frequently violate the boundary drawn by the American-led U.N. command at the end of the Korean War in the early 1950s without the North’s consent. The line cuts North Korea off from rich fishing waters.
The latest incident happened three days after a group of high-profile North Korean officials made a surprise visit to South Korea and agreed to resume senior-level talks.
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