South Korean forces retaliate after North Korea fires three artillery shells in latest clash in Yellow Sea

This article is more than 9 years old

This article is more than 9 years old

South Korean forces returned fire after North Korean artillery shells fell into waters near the tense maritime line that separates the two rivals, according to a South Korean official.

North Korea fired three shells near the Northern Limit Line in the Yellow Sea on Wednesday, prompting the South to fire back three shells, said the defense ministry spokesman, Kim Min-seok.

South Korean forces have been on high alert in the area since a North Korean artillery attack killed four people in November 2010 on South Korea's Yeonpyeong island.

Wednesday's shooting took place nearby.

Violence often erupts in the contested waters there. Boats routinely jostle for position during crab-catching season, and three deadly naval clashes since 1999 have taken dozens of lives.

Kim said one North Korean artillery shell is believed to have fallen south of the maritime line, citing a preliminary analysis of the trajectory of the shell.

The line separating the countries was drawn at the close of the Korean war in 1953 and is still a fierce point of dispute. The countries remain technically at war.

North Korea argues the line should run farther south. Seoul believes accepting such a line would endanger fishing around five South Korean islands and hamper access to its port at Incheon.

The November 2010 attack marked a new level of hostility along the contested line. Two civilians and two marines died, and many houses were gutted in the shelling.