North Korean Merchant Vessel Violates NLL, Retreats After Warning Shots

After Crossing the NLL,
Vessel Changed Its Registered Nationality from North Korea to China

On the morning of September 26, a North Korean merchant ship violated the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea but retreated after receiving warning communications and warning shots from the South Korean military.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at around 5:06 a.m. on this day, a North Korean merchant vessel crossed the NLL northwest of Baengnyeong Island in the West Sea. The ship, named "Deokseong-ho," is a cargo vessel approximately 140 meters in length. It remained south of the NLL for about one hour and is believed to have intruded as far as 5 kilometers past the line. This is the first time in approximately two years and eleven months that a North Korean vessel has crossed the NLL since October 2022.

Yonhap News

Typically, when a North Korean vessel crosses the NLL, the military issues a warning via the international maritime radio network. If the vessel does not comply, warning shots are fired, followed by direct fire if the vessel continues moving south. The South Korean military issued dozens of warning communications, and when the vessel crossed the NLL, they conducted seven rounds of warning fire, discharging approximately 60 shots using machine guns and naval guns. At the time, the Cheonan, a Daegu-class frigate (2,800-ton class), was conducting a security operation.

The North Korean vessel changed its course and exited the area under South Korean jurisdiction in response to the warning shots. It was also reported that, according to the Automatic Identification System (AIS), the vessel changed its registered nationality from North Korean to Chinese after crossing the NLL. A military official stated, "Since there are many Chinese fishing boats in the area, it is possible the vessel changed its route to avoid them and inadvertently crossed the NLL, so we are analyzing various possibilities." The Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasized, "Our military closely monitored North Korean movements and responded according to operational procedures. We will respond firmly in any situation to safeguard the NLL."