Disputed sea border leads to both Koreas firing warning shots

North Korea, South Korea sea border
(Image credit: ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images)

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.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.