North Korea Violates Maritime Border Again

By The Maritime Executive 02-25-2014 11:17:00

A North Korean patrol boat violated a maritime border with South Korea several times late on Monday. This is the first reported maritime incursion of 2014 between the two Koreas.

A 420 metric-ton vessel made three cross-border trips during the night and left after 2 a.m. The ship spent a few hours in South Korean waters before returning after repeated warnings from the South. The South broadcast warnings 10 times before the ship returned. There was no exchange of fire.

The incursions took place 13 nautical miles west of South Korea's Yeongpyeong Island, off the west coast of the Korean peninsula. The ship was said to have come within 15 miles of South Korea's border island of Baengnyeong.

The North Korean patrol ship crossed the Northern Limit Line (NLL), which South Korea considers the maritime border between the two sides. North Korea openly disputes the maritime border and has sent boats across it in the past.

The NLL was drawn unilaterally by the United Nations Command at the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War. However, North Korea has drawn its own border further south of the line.

A South Korean defense ministry spokesman stated that the North Korean ship's NLL violation is seen as part of military drills, adding that the ship seems to be testing the South Korean military.

Monday's incident comes on the same day joint annual U.S.-South Korea military exercises began. More than 12,500 U.S. troops will take part in the exercises, which include Key Resolve, a computer-based simulation, and Foal Eagle, which involves air, ground and naval drills. North Korea is opposed to the drills and has previously called them "exercises of war".

The photo displayed is not necessarily the North Korean warship discussed in the article.