FILE - A South Korean soldier uses binoculars to look out to sea from a watchtower on Yeonpyeong island, which lies just inside the South Korean side of the Northern Limit Line, in the Yellow Sea, April 2014.
North Korea Fires Artillery Near South Korean Ship
South Korea says one of its naval patrol ships exchanged artillery fire with a North Korean vessel that fired first into waters near the South's vessel.
Military officials in Seoul said Thursday the shells fell south of the Yellow Sea border near the front-line island of Yeonpyeong.
The officials said the South Korean ship, which was not damaged in the incident, returned fire into the water near the North Korean ship, which also was undamaged.
Pyongyang has not commented on the incident, but did threaten Wednesday to attack South Korean ships near the sea border between the two countries.
Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong, South Korea
The threat and the artillery exchange follow an incident earlier this week in which South Korea fired warning shots at three North Korean vessels that crossed the maritime boundary between the two rivals.
North Korea disputes the maritime boundary, saying it was unilaterally imposed and should be drawn farther south.
The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice. Hostilities in the conflict ended, but the two sides remain technically at war.
The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.
