By Yong Kwon
A clash in contested waters could mark the beginning of an escalation in tensions.
Tensions flared again between the two Koreas on May 22 as the two countries exchanged artillery fire across the Northern Limitation Line (NLL), the conflict-ridden maritime border claimed by the South Korean government.
On May 20, South Korean naval vessels fired ten warning shots at three North Korean patrol boats that were spotted south of the NLL. Although the offending ships withdrew without incident that day, Pyongyang issued a strongly worded condemnation on May 21 when the spokesperson from the Korean People’s Army claimed that the North Korean military would open fire on any South Korean ships found in the disputed maritime frontier. This threat was fulfilled the very next day when two North Korean shells landed within 150 meters of a South Korean guided-missile patrol boat that was conducting a routine mission 10 kilometers south of the NLL. The proximity of the shots to the South Korean vessel led many analysts to believe that the shells were specifically targeting the patrol boat, sparking concerns that this marks the beginning of a new kind of provocative behavior by Pyongyang.
Clashes between the South and North Korean navies in the Yellow Sea have become increasingly common since 1999, when Pyongyang began aggressively advancing an alternative maritime demarcation line that extended North Korea’s territorial waters 12 nautical miles from its coastline. In particular, South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island, lying just 12 km (7.5 miles) south of the North Korean coastline, has been a frequent flashpoint. In 2010, the island was shelled by North Korea in an unprecedented attack on civilians, killing two civilians alongside two soldiers and wounding many others. The most recent provocation also occurred 14 kilometers southwest of the island.
Read the full story at The Diplomat