SEOUL - South Korea fired warning shots at a North Korean vessel that breached the maritime boundary on Sunday, according to the South Korean military, a day after the incident that heightened tensions over the North's missile launches.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated it fired warning shots and aired warnings to evict a North Korean patrol boat that crossed the de facto maritime boundary, the Northern Limit Line (NLL), about 11 a.m. (0200 GMT) on Saturday.
“Our military maintains decisive battle posture while monitoring the enemy’s movements in preparation for potential provocations regarding NLL violations by North Korean patrol boats,” the JCS said in a statement on Sunday.
Due to poor visibility, a South Korean patrol ship had "minor contact" with a neighboring Chinese fishing vessel during the operations, resulting in no safety concerns but minor injuries among the South Korean crew, according to the JCS.
The North's assault came as tensions rose in response to the North's increased military activity in recent weeks, including Friday's test of a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, which analysts say might allow missile launches with little warning.
Since the 1990s, Pyongyang has contested the NLL, which was set up at the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War, claiming it should be far further south. In October, the two Koreas exchanged warning shots in western seas, accusing one other of trespassing the sea boundary in a region where clashes are common.
Pyongyang has warned military action while South Korean and US soldiers have been conducting regular springtime drills since March, describing them as a "dress rehearsal for nuclear war."
South Korea's air force said on Sunday that it will hold joint exercises with the United States. From Monday through April 28, the Air Force and Marines will be deployed.
The drills will involve 110 aircraft, including South Korean F-35 and F-15 fighters, as well as American F-16 planes and KC-135 aerial refueling tankers, and 1,400 personnel from both sides, according to the statement.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this week ordered a "more practical and offensive" increase in war deterrent to confront what the isolated country called aggressive steps by the United States and South Korea.
Seoul and Washington claim its drills are defensive in nature and intended to discourage the North.
