Disputed sea border leads to both Koreas firing warning shots

North and South Korea exchanged warning shots on Monday along the disputed western sea boundary, Politico reports. Tensions between the countries have been heightened amid North Korea's numerous weapon tests.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the warning shots were fired because a North Korean merchant vessel crossed the de-facto water boundary known as the Northern Limit Line early Monday morning, reports Reuters. North Korea's defense responded by firing 10 rocket artillery rounds and accused a South Korean naval ship of violating the sea border. The JCS then called North Korea's response a violation of a 2018 bilateral military pact that bans "hostile acts" on the border.

The sea border on the Korean Peninsula's west coast has been an ongoing area of dispute between the Koreas and has led to a number of violent confrontations, Politico continues. The Northern Limit Line was drawn up in the 1950s after the Korean War, however, since the 1990s, North Korea has disputed the boundary claiming that it should be located further south.

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Amid North Korea's military weapons tests, South Korea also started its annual military drills designed to enhance the combined military ability of the country and the U.S. against potential North Korean aggression. North Korea views these drills as provocations aimed at deterring them.