A North Korean vessel crossed the inter-Korean maritime border in the Yellow Sea on Friday morning, prompting the South Korean military to fire warning shots. 

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) said Friday that a North Korean merchant ship had crossed the Northern Limit Line(NLL), the de facto inter-Korean maritime border, near Baengnyeong Island around 5 a.m. 

The JCS said that as the South Korean military issued warning broadcasts and fired warning shots, the vessel withdrew from South Korean waters.

It also said that the South Korean military had been closely monitoring North Korean movements and responded in accordance with related procedures. 

The JCS added that the military will maintain a strong defense posture and respond firmly to protect the NLL under any circumstances.