North and South Korea exchanged warning shots along a disputed western maritime boundary in the Yellow Sea early Monday, with both sides' armed forces accusing each other of border violations, adding further tension to relations between the two countries.
South Korea's military said it fired a total of 20 warning shots after spotting a North Korean commercial vessel that had crossed the Northern Limit Line, a border drawn by U.S.-led U.N. forces after the Korean War, at around 3:42 a.m.
North Korea's military, meanwhile, released a statement accusing a South Korean destroyer of intruding into its waters, and said that it responded by firing 10 shells of multiple rocket launchers at around 5:15 a.m.
The NLL, marked by an island chain, is not recognized by Pyongyang, which claims the real maritime border should lie further to the south. A number of skirmishes between the rival Koreas have occurred around the area in the past.
A spokesman for the General Staff of the Korean People's Army in North Korea said that a South Korean navy ship violated the NLL, prompting defense units to take an "initial countermeasure" to "expel the enemy warship," according to the North's official Korean Central News Agency.
The exchange of warning shots comes after North Korea's recent flurry of missile tests.
South Korea's navy said Monday it has begun a four-day joint maritime military exercise involving the countries' army, air force, and naval police, alongside the U.S. military. The drill is taking place in the Yellow Sea.
"The drill is a defensive exercise we are running, in order to improve combined operational capabilities in preparation for various provocative situations that may occur on the waters," the navy said in a statement.
For the exercise, the navy will be deploying about 20 vessels including an Aegis destroyer, while Apache helicopters from the U.S. army will also participate.
Tensions are expected to remain high on the Korean Peninsula, with the South Korean and U.S. air forces scheduled to conduct a joint exercise from Oct. 31.
Related coverage:
Putin, Kim congratulate Xi as he starts 3rd term as China's leader
Japan, U.S., South Korea vow to keep effective defense cooperation
North Korean hacking group may have stolen crypto in cyberattack
