Warning shots chase away North Korean fishing boat

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's navy fired warning shots to chase away a North Korean fishing boat that crossed their disputed sea border early yesterday, the Defense Ministry said, in the latest flare-up of tension on the divided peninsula just days before the Group of 20 summit in Seoul.

The North Korean boat intruded on South Korean territory for about two hours before returning to North Korean waters, the ministry said. The fertile maritime border, the scene of three deadly skirmishes between the Koreas, is a key flash point because the North does not recognize the line drawn by the United Nations at the close of the 1950-53 Korean War.

The firing comes just days after North Korea shot two rounds at a South Korean guard post in the Demilitarized Zone, prompting return fire from South Korean troops, according to Seoul military officials.

South Korea is bracing for any possible North Korean moves to sabotage next week's Group of 20 summit of world leaders. North Korea has a track record of provocations when world attention is focused on the rival South.

- AP