SEOUL, South Korea — The two Koreas exchanged fire Tuesday near the disputed maritime border after a North Korean naval ship briefly crossed the Northern Limit Line, according to South Korean defense officials.
A Ministry of National Defense spokesman said it was unclear whether the incursion was intentional. No damage or injuries were reported by the South Korean military; it was unknown whether any North Korean forces were injured.
The incident took place around 9:50 a.m., when the North Korean vessel crossed about half a nautical mile into South Korean waters.
A South Korean naval patrol boat sent warning messages, then fired a warning shot. The North fired back in response but retreated after the South responded with fire, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
A JCS spokesman said officials were still determining how many shots were fired during the exchange.
U.S. Forces Korea said it was aware of the incident and monitoring the situation. Asked whether U.S. troops would be put on alert, the command said it does not address the readiness posture of its forces as a matter of policy.
The incident comes after a period of relative calm and what some South Korean media have even described as a North Korean diplomatic offensive that included sending a delegation to the Asian Games in Incheon.
On Saturday, a contingent of 11 top North Korean officials made a surprise visit to the competition’s closing ceremony. Flying on North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s private plane, they were the highest-level delegation from the reclusive communist country to visit the South since 2009, according to Victor Cha and Andy Lim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
They met with the South’s minister of unification and national security adviser, and the parties agreed to set up an inter-Korean meeting in late October or early November. Those talks could lead to agreements including more family reunions between families separated since the Korean War, Cha and Lim said in a statement Monday.
“One expects at least a temporary thaw between now and the next set of talks, but there is no guarantee that this will be long-lasting,” they said.
rowland.ashley@stripes.com
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