Navy ships from North and South Korea exchange fire

NAVY ships from North and South Korea exchanged fire yesterday along their disputed western sea border, the first such clash in seven years.

Each side blamed the other for violating the sea border.

“It’s a regrettable incident,” South Korean Commodore Lee Ki-sik said.

North Korea’s military issued a statement blaming South Korea for the “grave armed provocation,” saying its ships crossed into North Korean territory.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that a North Korean patrol boat crossed the disputed western sea border drawing warning shots from a South Korean navy vessel. The North Korean boat then opened fire and the South’s ship returned fire before the North’s vessel sailed back toward its waters.

The clash occurred about 120 nautical miles off the port city of Incheon, west of Seoul.

The North Korean ship was seriously damaged in the skirmish, a Joint Chiefs of Staff officer said.