South Korean military fires warning shots at a North Korean military ship | outside

The North Korean patrol ship crossed the so-called Northern Limit Line (NLL) near South Korea’s Baekryong Island on Saturday. The Seoul General Staff said in a statement on Sunday that a South Korean speedboat sent warnings, fired several warning shots and immediately returned the ship.

NLL is not recognized by North Korea. The United Nations established those maritime borders after the Korean War (1950-1953) to prevent hostilities between the two countries. The border has been the scene of skirmishes on several occasions. South Korea and North Korea are still technically at war, which ended without a peace treaty.

Last year, for the first time since the end of the war, a North Korean missile landed south of the maritime border near South Korean territorial waters. In response, Seoul fired three missiles, suspended air communications, and told islanders in the area to search for caches.

The new incident comes amid escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula. North Korea has been ramping up its missile tests in recent months. The country also declared its status as a nuclear power “irreversible” and closed the door to disarmament negotiations. South Korea, in turn, increased military cooperation with the United States.