North Korea/South Korea: Koreas Trade Artillery Fire Across a Line in the Water

May 22, 2014 | Choe Sang-Hun, New York Times
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SEOUL, South Korea — Naval vessels from North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire on Thursday, raising tensions along a disputed maritime boundary. Neither hit the other.According to a South Korean Defense Ministry official, a North Korean patrol boat fired first, shooting two rounds that fell about 500 feet from a South Korean Navy ship. The South Korean ship responded with several rounds of its own, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity under the ministry’s rules.The firing took place across the Northern Limit Line, which South Korea says is its maritime boundary in waters west of the Korean Peninsula. North Korea does not recognize the line, and says the correct boundary is farther south. There have been several naval skirmishes over the boundary in recent years.