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Three North Korean naval patrol boats simultaneously violated the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea (Yellow Sea) near Yeonpyeong Island on Monday, later retreating after receiving about ten warning shots from South Korean warships.
With the exception of the Yeonpyeong naval exchange of 1999, the latest concentrated North Korean foray across the NLL was almost unprecedented. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Monday, "Two North Korean naval patrol boats approached the NLL about 6.5 miles east of Socheong Island at 10:25 a.m. Though we broadcasted warnings, they failed to respond and violated the NLL at about 10:54 a.m." One of the two boats returned north at about 11:15 following a broadcasted warning, but the other boat repeatedly violated the NLL until 12:17 p.m., after it received warning shots from the 40mm and 76mm guns of responding South Korean naval vessels.
Another North Korean patrol temporarily violated the NLL by going about 0.9 mile south of the line at 11:00 a.m., 25 miles west of Yeonpyeong Island, but returned north at 11:24 after receiving broadcasted warnings from the South Korean navy. This was the twelfth violation of the NLL by the North this year and second instance in which warning shots were fired. A JCS official said, "In the area near the North's NLL violation, about 80 Chinese fishing vessels were at work."
(Yoo Yong-won, bemil@chosun.com )
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