South Korea says it fired on North Korean patrol boat

Seoul, South Korea – South Korea says it fired warning shots at a North Korean patrol boat that was temporarily crossing the countries’ controversial western maritime border while chasing an unarmed North Korean ship.

The North Korean patrol boat crossed the so-called North Boundary Line on Tuesday morning while chasing the ship in waters near South Korea’s Baekryeong Island and retreated after a South Korean naval ship fired shots. warning, according to the Ministry of Defense and the Seoul Chiefs of Staff.

South Korean army officers captured the North Korean ship being pursued by the patrol boat and interrogated its seven crew members.

The South Korean Navy has often fired warning shots to repel North Korean ships crossing the countries’ poorly marked maritime border, but there have also been some deadly clashes over the years. South Korea blames North Korea for an attack on a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors in 2010, but the North has denied responsibility.

South Korea has been patrolling the waters around the northern boundary line for decades after the UN command drafted it at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. North Korea does not recognize the line and insists on a limit that deeply invades the waters currently controlled by the South.

Tuesday’s incident came amid renewed tensions created by North Korea’s accelerated missile tests this year, including a launch on Saturday that the North said it was testing technologies for a developing spy satellite .

It came a day before South Koreans voted in hotly contested presidential election. The bitter campaign has been marked by clashes between top candidates over whether South Korea should continue to seek a compromise with rival North Korea or take a tougher line to control its nuclear threat.

Nuclear negotiations between the United States and North Korea have stalled for three years over disagreements over a relaxation of US-led crippling sanctions on North Korea in exchange for steps toward nuclear disarmament.

In:
• South Korea
• North Korea