The New Media Journal | North & South Korea Exchange Fire at Sea

The New Media Journal | North & South Korea Exchange Fire at Sea: "The two Koreas briefly exchanged naval fire along their disputed western sea border earlier today, with a North Korean ship suffering heavy damage before retreating, according to South Korean military officials.

There were no South Korean casualties, the country's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, and it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties on the North Korean side.

The North's patrol boat crossed the disputed western sea border early on Tuesday morning, drawing warning shots from a South Korean navy vessel, according to South Korea. The North Korean boat then opened fire and the South's ship returned fire before the North's vessel sailed back toward its waters, the statement said.

The North Korean ship was seriously damaged in the skirmish while the South Korean ship was unscathed. There was no immediate comment from North Korea on the clash.

Navies of the two Koreas fought deadly skirmishes along the western sea border in 1999 and 2002.

No South Korean sailors were killed in 1999, but six South Korean sailors were killed in 2002, according to the Navy. It said exact North Korean causalities remain unclear.

The two Koreas have yet to agree on their sea border more than 50 years after the end of their 1950-53 civil war, which ended in an armistice and not a permanent peace treaty. Instead, they rely on a line that the then-commander of UN forces, which fought for the South, drew unilaterally at the end of the conflict."