Recriminations are flying after a minute-long skirmish yesterday between the North Korean and South Korean navies.
According to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, the encounter occurred near Baekryeong Islandoff the west coast of Korea. The Associated Press, quoting South Korean navy officials, said South Korea sustained no casualties, while a North Korean patrol boat "retreated in flames."
The Korea Central News Agency, Pyongyang's official mouthpiece, delivered a more florid version of events. "Much flurried by this, the group of warships of the South Korean forces hastily took to flight to the waters of their side," it said in an English-language news release. "The South Korean military authorities should make an apology to the north side for the armed provocation and take a responsible measure against the recurrence of the similar provocation."
The exchange of fire comes just days ahead of a planned trip to Asia by President Barack Obama. On the top of the agenda for the trip: Reining in rogue North Korea.
Exchanges of fire between the North and South Korean navies are rare, but not unheard of. The Korea Herald says the most recent naval clash was in 2002; that battle claimed the lives of six sailors. An earlier battle in 1999 saw nine South Korean sailors injured.
[PHOTO: U.S. Navy]
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