South Korea fires warning shots as North Korean ship breaches sea border
Tensions high as South Korea repels North Korean vessel
- South Korea's military fired warning shots to repel a North Korean merchant ship that briefly crossed the disputed western sea boundary.
- The vessel breached the Northern Limit Line near Baengnyeong island at approximately 5am, retreating after an audio warning and warning shots were issued.
- There were no immediate reports of North Korean forces returning fire.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un does not recognise the Northern Limit Line, drawn by the US-led UN Command, insisting on a boundary encroaching into South Korean-controlled waters.
- Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high, with North Korea dismissing diplomacy and accelerating its weapons programme amidst deepening alignment with Russia.