North and South Korea exchange warning shots along Yellow Sea maritime border

The South Korean military has confirmed that an exchange of gunfire took place between its forces and those of North Korea in the Yellow Sea on Monday, October 24.

The latest incident along the Northern Limit Line (NLL) that lies west of the Korean Peninsula occurred at approximately 03:40 local time on Monday after the crew of a South Korean Navy ship issued radio calls and fired warning shots at a North Korean merchant vessel.

Reports said the North Korean vessel had violated the NLL, which serves as the de facto maritime boundary between the two countries. The South Korean Navy ship was conducting a patrol when it detected the North Korean vessel after the latter had already crossed the boundary.

North Korean state media said coastal artillery units fired warning shots in response to what military leaders in Pyongyang said was the South Korean Navy ship’s “intrusion” into their own maritime territory on the pretext of pursuing an unknown vessel.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the shots fired by the North did not land in the territorial waters claimed by Seoul. However, South Korean military units have nonetheless been placed on increased readiness following the encounter.