One of South Korea’s naval vessels fired warning shots at a North Korean patrol boat after a breach of its borders.
The South Korean ship opened fire after the North Korean ship crossed the inter-Korean sea border on Tuesday morning, officials reported. The incident occurred the same day that South Korean authorities detained a second North Korean vessel that crossed the border.
The North Korean patrol boat, which was reported chasing the second, immediately retreated after South Korea fired warning shots, according to a statement from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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South Korea’s navy took the detained vessel to a nearby dock. Six of the seven crew members of the ship were wearing military uniforms, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
While skirmishes between the two Korean nations are not uncommon, this instance is the first time a North Korean military vessel has crossed the established border since the two countries signed a 2018 military agreement to reduce tensions, retired South Korean Lt. Gen. Chun In-bum told Voice of America. “It’s a touch-and-go situation out there.”
The incident occurred concurrently with South Korea’s election on Tuesday. While North Korea has attempted to raise political tensions around the same time as its southern neighbor’s elections, Chun believes this sea incident is likely coincidental.
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North Korea has increased its military activity in recent weeks. The country has tested two ballistic missiles in the last two weeks and claims that it conducted an “important” test on its spy satellites.
