South Korean troops fired warning shots today at a North Korean merchant ship that crossed the maritime border between the two countries in disputed waters off the western coast of the Korean Peninsula, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA, citing the South Korean military.
The ship later withdrew, the South Korean military said. The incursion early Friday was accompanied by voice warnings from the South Korean military and the operation followed standard protocol, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
The waters around the so-called Northern Limit Line, drawn after the 1950-1953 Korean War, have seen deadly naval clashes in the past, Reuters reported.
North Korea does not recognize the line as a border.