The ROK Navy has fired two warning shots at a group of North Korean fishing vessels crossing the Northern Limit Line in the West Sea.

A military official explained today, “This morning from 11:44, six North Korean fishing vessels crossed the NLL one after another to the north west of Yeonpyeong Island. Our navy’s high-speed patrol boat fired warning shots at them on two occasions beginning at 15:00, and all the vessels had retreated by 16:00.” No North Korean naval vessels were involved.

This is just the latest in a string of similar cases involving fishing vessels in the region. According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), there were 13 crossings on the 14th, 8 on the 15th, and 2 on the 20th.

The crossings are being treated as deliberate, though it is unclear what the motivation behind it is. Speculation includes North Korea attempting to create tension in the region and testing South Korean naval defense readiness.