SEOUL: South Korea said its navy patrol boats fired warning shots yesterday at six North Korean fishing boats that crossed their disputed Yellow Sea border in the latest of a series of incursions.
None of the North Korean vessels were hit and they swiftly returned to their side of the western sea boundary after the incident, a Defence Ministry spokesman said.
“Dozens of Vulcan machine gun rounds were fired into waters near North Korean fishing boats which violated the sea border,” the spokesman said.
“The operation, involving two naval patrol ships, began around 3:00 pm (0600 GMT) after our side broadcast warning messages. All North Korean boats had retreated by 4:00 pm,” he added.
There was no immediate comment from the North Korean side.
The incident, which occurred close to Yeonpyeong island on the South side of the border, followed a series of recent border violations by North Korean fishing vessels.
It was the first time for two years that the South has resorted to firing warning shots to push the fishing boats back.
Earlier yesterday, Yonhap had quoted an unidentified senior military official as saying the navy would take action if the incursions continued.
“If North Korean boats repeatedly cross (the border) for fishing, the military will promptly and sternly respond, without hesitation,” the official said.
The de-facto maritime boundary between the two Koreas -- the Northern Limit Line -- is not recognised by Pyongyang, which argues it was unilaterally drawn by the US-led United Nations forces after 1950-53 Korean War.
The two Koreas remain technically at war since the Korean conflict was concluded with a truce rather than a peace treaty.
AFP
