By Eniola Amadu
South Korean forces fired warning shots at a North Korean merchant vessel that crossed the disputed maritime boundary between the two countries in the Yellow Sea.
The incident underscores long-standing tensions in the waters off the Korean Peninsula, where naval encounters have often escalated into military clashes.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the vessel crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL) near Baengnyeong Island at around 5 a.m. local time (20:00 GMT Thursday).
The ship reportedly advanced up to five kilometres south of the line and remained in South Korean waters for about an hour.
South Korea’s military said it issued repeated warnings before firing live rounds into the water, forcing the vessel to retreat.
“Our military broadcast a warning and fired warning shots, after which the North Korean merchant ship retreated from our territorial waters,” the JCS said in a statement.
“We closely monitored North Korea’s movements and responded in accordance with operational procedures.”
Officials confirmed that a South Korean navy convoy was conducting operations in the area during the incursion.
The JCS emphasised that it would “firmly maintain our readiness posture and respond resolutely to any situation to safeguard the NLL.”
North Korea has not yet commented on the intrusion. The incident is the first confirmed breach of the NLL by a North Korean vessel since October 2022, when another merchant ship crossed the border and was chased back after warning shots.
On that occasion, the North responded with artillery fire into the sea, heightening regional tensions.
Friday’s episode also coincides with North Korea’s diplomatic engagement at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Vice Foreign Minister Kim Son-gyeong is scheduled to attend.
Analysts note that the maritime breach may complicate Pyongyang’s international outreach by reinforcing concerns about its military posture.
The boundary was drawn unilaterally by United Nations forces after the 1950–53 Korean War and has never been recognised by Pyongyang, which claims the line should lie further south.
Disputes over the NLL have led to deadly clashes in the past.
In 2010, North Korean artillery shelled South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island, killing four people, while the same year s South Korean naval vessel sank following what Seoul said was a North Korean torpedo attack that killed 46 sailors. Earlier clashes in 1999 and 2002 also left casualties on both sides.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has repeatedly denounced the NLL, describing it as “illicit and lawless.”
Last year, he called for a redefinition of maritime borders, fueling concerns that further confrontations in the Yellow Sea are likely.
