Two Koreas Exchange Warning Shots along Western Sea Border

North Korea and South Korea on Monday exchanged warning shots along their disputed western maritime border, in an escalation that raises concerns about possible clashes after a series of recent weapons tests by Pyongyang.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the South Korean navy issued warnings and fired warning shots to see off a North Korean merchant ship that violated the maritime border at about 3:42 a.m. local time.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff added that a North Korean merchant ship violated the minimum maritime boundary line in the waters and retreated to the north after the South Korean Navy issued warning messages and fired about 20 warning shots.

On its part, the North Korean army stated that its coastal defense units responded by firing 10 warning shots towards its territorial waters, where "hostile sea movement" was detected, North Korean army added.