South Korea announced that its military fired warning shots after a North Korean vessel entered its territorial waters, prompting the ship to retreat.

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On Friday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff explained that the North Korean merchant ship had crossed the maritime boundary known as the Northern Limit Line (NLL), northwest of Baengnyeong Island, around 5 a.m.

In a statement, the military said: “Our forces issued verbal warnings and fired warning shots, after which the vessel withdrew from our waters.”

The army added that it had responded “in accordance with procedures” and was “closely monitoring North Korea’s movements.”

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A vicious circle

North Korea does not officially recognize the Northern Limit Line.

The incident occurred just two days after South Korea conducted live-fire drills near the disputed maritime boundary.

The two Koreas technically remain at war, since the Korean War (1950–1953) ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, who took office in June, has pledged to adopt a more conciliatory approach toward Pyongyang compared to his hardline predecessor, Yoon Suk-yeol.

Speaking at the United Nations on Tuesday, Lee vowed to work toward ending the “vicious circle” of tensions with the North, while stressing that he did not seek regime change there.

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