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South Korea fires warning shots toward North Korean merchant vessel

27 November 2019 12:31 (UTC +04:00)

South Korea’s military fired warning shots toward a North Korean merchant boat with engine trouble that violated their sea border on Wednesday, South Korean officials said, APA reports citing Reuters.

The vessel was detected crossing the inter-Korean maritime frontier at around 6:40 a.m. (2140 GMT Tuesday) near a South Korean border island off the west coast, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The South Korean military issued a warning and fired shots into the water near the ship to drive it away.

“So far, we confirmed that the ship drifted toward that area due to bad weather and engine trouble, and it’s currently on the way back to the North on its own,” the JCS said in a statement.

It was the second time the South fired warning shots toward a North Korean vessel since President Moon Jae-in took office in May 2017, a military official said. Moon has vowed to re-engage with the reclusive North.