Koreas exchange fire in disputed sea border

Seoul said Wednesday North Korea fired artillery near a disputed sea border off the west coast of the peninsula, prompting South Korean forces to return fire.

South Korean state media Yonhap news agency quoted a member of the Joint Chief of Staffs as saying that several artillery shells were fired off waters near the inter-Korean maritime border around 9:05 am (0000 GMT).

“We have confirmed North Korea’s firing of several artillery shells, but they did not cross the (Northern Limit Line),” Park Sung-woo said. “We are on high military alert.”

No injuries were reported following the incident, which was the second time the rivals have clashed in the past three months.

On Tuesday, North Korea declared a “no-sail zone” in the disputed area of the Yellow Sea off its coast.

The two sides last exchanged gunfire in the disputed area in November, the first such violent incident in seven years.