Northern Limit Line
Encyclopedia
The Northern Limit Line or North Limit Line (NLL) is a disputed inter-Korea maritime demarcation line
in the Yellow (West) Sea
between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the north, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on the south. This line of military control acts as the de facto
maritime boundary
between North and South Korea.
that had been part of Hwanghae
before 1945, and the adjacent offshore islands, including Yeonpyeong
and Baengnyeongdo. Because of the conditions of the armistice, the mainland portion reverted to North Korean control, while the islands remained a part of South Korea despite their close proximity.
The line extends into the sea from the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), and consists of straight line segments between 12 approximate channel midpoints, extended in an arc to prevent egress between both sides. On its western end the line extends out along the 38th parallel
to the median line between Korea and China.
, ended the Korean War
and specified that the five islands including Yeonpyeong Island, Baengnyeong Island
would remain under United Nations Command and South Korean control. However, they did not agree on a maritime demarcation line, primarily because the United Nations Command wanted to base it on 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) of territorial waters, while North Korea wanted to use 12 nautical miles (22.2 km).
After the United Nations Command and North Korea failed to reach an agreement, the line was set by the United Nations
military forces on August 30, 1953. As a result, while the NLL was not part of the armistice signed in July of that year, the United Nations Command drew up the NLL the following month as a practical operational control measure. The line was originally drawn to prevent southern incursions into the north. However, its role has since been transformed to prevent North Korean ships heading south.
Whilst the NLL was drawn up at a time when a territorial waters
limit of 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) was the norm, by the 1970s a limit of 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) had became internationally accepted, and the enforcement of the NLL prevented North Korea, in areas, from accessing significant territorial waters (arguably actual or prospective). In 1973, North Korea began disputing the NLL. Later, after the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
, the NLL also prevented North Korea from establishing an Exclusive Economic Zone
to control fishing in the area.
It is unclear when North Korea was informed of the existence of the NLL. Many sources suggest this was done promptly, but in 1973 Deputy Secretary of State Kenneth Rush
stated, in a now declassified, "Joint State-Defense Message" to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul that "We are aware of no evidence that NLL has ever been officially presented to North Korea."
However, South Korea argues that until the 1970s North Korea tacitly recognized the line as a sea demarcation line. North Korea recorded in their 1959 Central Almanac a partial demarcation line close to the United Nations Command controlled islands, at about three nautical miles distance, which South Korea argues shows North Korean acceptance of the NLL as a whole.
The North Korean
and South Korean navies
regularly patrol the area around the NLL. As North Korea does not recognise the line, its fishing boats work close to or over the limit line, escorted by North Korean naval boats.
(UNC) emphasized its position on the border issue on 23 August 1999. The United Nations Command side stated that the NLL issue was nonnegotiable, because the demarcation line had been recognized as the de facto maritime border for long years by both Koreas.
The United Nations Command insisted that the NLL must be maintained until a new maritime MDL could be
established through the Joint Military Commission on the armistice agreement.
However in a 1973 U.S. diplomatic cable, now declassified, noted that United Nations Command protested North Korean intrusions within 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) of UNC controlled islands as armistice agreement violations, but did not protest NLL intrusions as the NLL was not mentioned in the armistice agreement. South Korea wished to describe all NLL penetrations as "military provocations", but the U.S. saw that as a major problem for the U.S. position on the armistice agreement. In 1975 the UNC position was that North Korean fishing or patrolling south of the NLL, outside 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) of the UNC controlled islands, was not justification for any coercive actions by UNC controlled vessels; the UNC would not participate in establishing an exclusive South Korean fishing zone.
North Korea's official state news agency KCNA
described the line as the "final line for stopping the defectors
to the north" drawn to meet "Washington's self-justified interests."
In 1977 North Korea attempted to establish a 50 miles (80.5 km) military boundary zone around the islands claimed by South Korea along the NLL; however, the claims were rebuffed.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union
in 1991, North Korea wanted to establish a special economic zone and international port at Haeju
, their southern deepwater port, to develop alternative trade opportunities. However with the NLL enforced, access to Haeju required shipping to travel along North Korean coast for 65 nautical miles (120.4 km), often within 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) of the shore. This prevents the development of Haeju as a large international port.
Since 1999, North Korea has claimed a more southerly "West Sea Military Demarcation Line".
On December 21, 2009, North Korea established a "peacetime firing zone" south of the NLL in waters disputed with South Korea.
In 2002 the Ministry of National Defense published a paper reasserting the legitimacy of the NLL, and arguing that North Korea's claims regarding NLL were groundless. The paper concluded that:
On October 4, 2007, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun
and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il
addressed the issue of NLL disputes in a joint statement:
However the following South Korean President Lee Myung-bak
rejected this approach, describing the NLL as a "critical border that contributes to keeping peace on our land."
South Korean academics at the Korea Maritime Institute
argued in 2001 that the legal situation between the two Koreas is a special regime governed by the armistice agreement, and not usual international law such as the Law of the Sea
. Consequently the NLL is subject to political agreement between the two Koreas, rather than international law remedies.
In February 1975, Secretary of State
Henry Kissinger
wrote in a confidential cable, now declassified, that the "Northern Patrol Limit Line does not have international legal status ... Insofar as it purports unilaterally to divide international waters, it is clearly contrary to international law and USG Law of the Sea position." Earlier in 1973 a "Joint State-Defense Message" to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul stated that South Korea "is wrong in assuming we will join in attempts to impose NLL", and the U.S. Ambassador told the South Korean government that the 12 miles (19.3 km) North Korean territorial sea claim created a zone of uncertain status with respect to the NLL.
In November 2010, following the North Korean Shelling of Yeonpyeong, President Barack Obama
said the U.S. stood "shoulder to shoulder" with South Korea and condemned the attack, but did not specifically address the NLL.
Materiel
losses and damage include:
Demarcation line
A demarcation line means simply a boundary around a specific area, but is commonly used to denote a temporary geopolitical border, often agreed upon as part of an armistice or ceasefire.See the following examples:...
in the Yellow (West) Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on the north, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) on the south. This line of military control acts as the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
maritime boundary
Maritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
between North and South Korea.
Description
The line runs between the mainland portion of Gyeonggi-do provinceGyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
that had been part of Hwanghae
Hwanghae
Hwanghae was one of the Eight Provinces of Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. Hwanghae was located in the northwest of Korea. The provincial capital was Haeju.The regional name for the province was Haesŏ .-History:...
before 1945, and the adjacent offshore islands, including Yeonpyeong
Yeonpyeong
Yeonpyeong Island or Yeonpyeongdo is a group of South Korean islands in the Yellow Sea, located about west of Incheon and south of the coast of Hwanghae Province, North Korea. The main island of the group is Daeyeonpyeongdo , also referred to simply as Yeonpyeong Island, with an area of and a...
and Baengnyeongdo. Because of the conditions of the armistice, the mainland portion reverted to North Korean control, while the islands remained a part of South Korea despite their close proximity.
The line extends into the sea from the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), and consists of straight line segments between 12 approximate channel midpoints, extended in an arc to prevent egress between both sides. On its western end the line extends out along the 38th parallel
38th parallel north
The 38th parallel north is a circle of latitude that is 38 degrees north of the Earth's equatorial plane. It crosses Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, Asia, the Pacific Ocean, North America, and the Atlantic Ocean...
to the median line between Korea and China.
Origins
The 1953 Armistice Agreement which was signed by both North Korea and the United Nations CommandUnited Nations Command (Korea)
The United Nations Command is the unified command structure for the multinational military forces supporting the Republic of Korea during and after the Korean War...
, ended the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and specified that the five islands including Yeonpyeong Island, Baengnyeong Island
Baengnyeong Island
Baengnyeong Island is a island in Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea, located near the Northern Limit Line. The 1953 s:Korean Armistice Agreement which ended the Korean War specified that the five islands including Baengnyeong Island would remain under United Nations Command and South Korea...
would remain under United Nations Command and South Korean control. However, they did not agree on a maritime demarcation line, primarily because the United Nations Command wanted to base it on 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) of territorial waters, while North Korea wanted to use 12 nautical miles (22.2 km).
After the United Nations Command and North Korea failed to reach an agreement, the line was set by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
military forces on August 30, 1953. As a result, while the NLL was not part of the armistice signed in July of that year, the United Nations Command drew up the NLL the following month as a practical operational control measure. The line was originally drawn to prevent southern incursions into the north. However, its role has since been transformed to prevent North Korean ships heading south.
Whilst the NLL was drawn up at a time when a territorial waters
Territorial waters
Territorial waters, or a territorial sea, as defined by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is a belt of coastal waters extending at most from the baseline of a coastal state...
limit of 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) was the norm, by the 1970s a limit of 12 nautical miles (22.2 km) had became internationally accepted, and the enforcement of the NLL prevented North Korea, in areas, from accessing significant territorial waters (arguably actual or prospective). In 1973, North Korea began disputing the NLL. Later, after the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea treaty, is the international agreement that resulted from the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea , which took place from 1973 through 1982...
, the NLL also prevented North Korea from establishing an Exclusive Economic Zone
Exclusive Economic Zone
Under the law of the sea, an exclusive economic zone is a seazone over which a state has special rights over the exploration and use of marine resources, including production of energy from water and wind. It stretches from the seaward edge of the state's territorial sea out to 200 nautical...
to control fishing in the area.
It is unclear when North Korea was informed of the existence of the NLL. Many sources suggest this was done promptly, but in 1973 Deputy Secretary of State Kenneth Rush
Kenneth Rush
Kenneth Rush was a United States Ambassador who helped negotiate the ground-breaking four-power agreement in 1971 that ended the post-war crisis over Berlin.-Early life:...
stated, in a now declassified, "Joint State-Defense Message" to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul that "We are aware of no evidence that NLL has ever been officially presented to North Korea."
However, South Korea argues that until the 1970s North Korea tacitly recognized the line as a sea demarcation line. North Korea recorded in their 1959 Central Almanac a partial demarcation line close to the United Nations Command controlled islands, at about three nautical miles distance, which South Korea argues shows North Korean acceptance of the NLL as a whole.
Status
The border is not officially recognized by North Korea.The North Korean
Korean People's Navy
The Korean People's Army Naval Force is the navy of North Korea. The Korean People's Army is made up of the Ground Force, the North Korean Air Force, and the Navy. It was established on June 5, 1946. The navy strength in the 1990s was about 40,000 to 60,000; current strength is at about 46,000...
and South Korean navies
Republic of Korea Navy
The Republic of Korea Navy or the ROK Navy is the branch of the South Korean armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations and amphibious landing operations. The ROK Navy includes the Republic of Korea Marine Corps, which is a quasi-autonomous organization...
regularly patrol the area around the NLL. As North Korea does not recognise the line, its fishing boats work close to or over the limit line, escorted by North Korean naval boats.
United Nations Command position
The United Nations CommandUnited Nations Command (Korea)
The United Nations Command is the unified command structure for the multinational military forces supporting the Republic of Korea during and after the Korean War...
(UNC) emphasized its position on the border issue on 23 August 1999. The United Nations Command side stated that the NLL issue was nonnegotiable, because the demarcation line had been recognized as the de facto maritime border for long years by both Koreas.
The United Nations Command insisted that the NLL must be maintained until a new maritime MDL could be
established through the Joint Military Commission on the armistice agreement.
However in a 1973 U.S. diplomatic cable, now declassified, noted that United Nations Command protested North Korean intrusions within 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) of UNC controlled islands as armistice agreement violations, but did not protest NLL intrusions as the NLL was not mentioned in the armistice agreement. South Korea wished to describe all NLL penetrations as "military provocations", but the U.S. saw that as a major problem for the U.S. position on the armistice agreement. In 1975 the UNC position was that North Korean fishing or patrolling south of the NLL, outside 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) of the UNC controlled islands, was not justification for any coercive actions by UNC controlled vessels; the UNC would not participate in establishing an exclusive South Korean fishing zone.
North Korea's position
When the 1953 Armistice was concluded between the U.N. and North Korea, agreement over a maritime extension of the demilitarized zone was not achieved. In 1955, DPRK proclaimed territorial waters extending 12 nautical miles (22.2 km). from the coastline. Other than this, North Korea did not explicitly dispute or actively violate the NLL until 1973, when it started to openly dispute the border by sending large groups of patrol ships over the NLL on about 43 occasions. North Korea states that it had not been informed of the existence of the line, which is now confirmed by declassified U.S. diplomatic cables, so could not dispute it earlier.North Korea's official state news agency KCNA
Korean Central News Agency
The Korean Central News Agency is the state news agency of North Korea and has existed since December 5, 1946. KCNA is headquartered in the capital city of Pyongyang...
described the line as the "final line for stopping the defectors
Defection
In politics, a defector is a person who gives up allegiance to one state or political entity in exchange for allegiance to another. More broadly, it involves abandoning a person, cause or doctrine to whom or to which one is bound by some tie, as of allegiance or duty.This term is also applied,...
to the north" drawn to meet "Washington's self-justified interests."
In 1977 North Korea attempted to establish a 50 miles (80.5 km) military boundary zone around the islands claimed by South Korea along the NLL; however, the claims were rebuffed.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1991, North Korea wanted to establish a special economic zone and international port at Haeju
Haeju
Haeju is a city located in South Hwanghae Province near Haeju Bay in North Korea. It is the administrative centre of South Hwanghae Province. As of 2000, the population of the city is estimated to be 236,000. At the beginning of 20th century, it became a strategic port in Sino-Korean trade...
, their southern deepwater port, to develop alternative trade opportunities. However with the NLL enforced, access to Haeju required shipping to travel along North Korean coast for 65 nautical miles (120.4 km), often within 3 nautical miles (5.6 km) of the shore. This prevents the development of Haeju as a large international port.
Since 1999, North Korea has claimed a more southerly "West Sea Military Demarcation Line".
On December 21, 2009, North Korea established a "peacetime firing zone" south of the NLL in waters disputed with South Korea.
South Korea's position
The South Korean position from the 1970s has been:- The NLL is an indispensable measure to administer the Armistice Agreement;
- The NLL is in the approximate mid-position between the islands and the North Korean mainland;
- North Korea acquiesced to the NLL until 1973, so implicitly recognized the NLL.
In 2002 the Ministry of National Defense published a paper reasserting the legitimacy of the NLL, and arguing that North Korea's claims regarding NLL were groundless. The paper concluded that:
- The NLL has been the practical sea demarcation line for the past 49 years and was confirmed and validated by the 1992 South-North Basic Agreement;
- Until a new sea nonaggression demarcation line is established, the NLL will be resolutely maintained like the ground Military Demarcation Line, and decisive responses will be made to all North Korean intrusions;
- Any new sea nonaggression demarcation must be established through South-North discussions, and the NLL is not the subject of negotiation between the US or UNC and the North;
- North Korea's claims violate the Armistice Agreement and are not compatible with the spirit and provisions of international law.
On October 4, 2007, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun
Roh Moo-hyun
Roh Moo-hyun GOM GCB was the 16th President of South Korea .Roh's pre-presidential political career was focused on human rights advocacy for student activists in South Korea. His electoral career later expanded to a focus on overcoming regionalism in South Korean politics, culminating in his...
and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-il, also written as Kim Jong Il, birth name Yuri Irsenovich Kim born 16 February 1941 or 16 February 1942 , is the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea...
addressed the issue of NLL disputes in a joint statement:
However the following South Korean President Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak
Lee Myung-bak is the President of South Korea. Prior to his presidency, he was the CEO of Hyundai Engineering and Construction and the mayor of Seoul. He is married to Kim Yoon-ok and has three daughters and one son. His older brother is Lee Sang-deuk, a South Korean politician. He attends the...
rejected this approach, describing the NLL as a "critical border that contributes to keeping peace on our land."
South Korean academics at the Korea Maritime Institute
Korea Maritime Institute
The Korea Maritime Institute is a think tank and research center developing South Korean policies on marine affairs and fisheries, operated by the South Korean government through of the Office of Government Policy Coordination...
argued in 2001 that the legal situation between the two Koreas is a special regime governed by the armistice agreement, and not usual international law such as the Law of the Sea
Law of the sea
Law of the sea may refer to:* United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea* Admiralty law* The Custom of the Sea...
. Consequently the NLL is subject to political agreement between the two Koreas, rather than international law remedies.
United States position
The United States government position, separate from the United Nations Command, is not clearly expressed. When asked about the NLL, United States government representatives usually refer questioners to the United Nations Command in South Korea.In February 1975, Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
wrote in a confidential cable, now declassified, that the "Northern Patrol Limit Line does not have international legal status ... Insofar as it purports unilaterally to divide international waters, it is clearly contrary to international law and USG Law of the Sea position." Earlier in 1973 a "Joint State-Defense Message" to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul stated that South Korea "is wrong in assuming we will join in attempts to impose NLL", and the U.S. Ambassador told the South Korean government that the 12 miles (19.3 km) North Korean territorial sea claim created a zone of uncertain status with respect to the NLL.
In November 2010, following the North Korean Shelling of Yeonpyeong, President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
said the U.S. stood "shoulder to shoulder" with South Korea and condemned the attack, but did not specifically address the NLL.
Border clashes
Clashes between North and South Korean fishing boats and naval vessels have frequently occurred along the NLL, incidents include:- First Battle of Yeonpyeong (1999) - four North Korean patrol boats and a group of fishing boats crossed the border and initiated a gun battle that left one North Korean vessel sunk, five patrol boats damaged, 30 sailors killed, and 70 wounded.
- Second Battle of Yeonpyeong (2002) - two North Korean patrol boats crossed the NLL near Yeonpyeong island and started firing; after becoming outnumbered and suffering damage, the vessels retreated.
- On 1 November 2004 three North Korean vessels crossed the NLL. They were challenged by South Korean patrol boats, but did not respond. The ROK vessels opened fire and the DPRK boats withdrew without returning fire. No casualties were reported.
- Battle of DaecheongBattle of DaecheongThe Battle of Daecheong was a skirmish between the South Korean and North Korean navies near the Northern Limit Line on 10 November 2009 off Daecheong Island...
(2009) - A North Korean gun boat crossed the NLL and entered waters near Daecheong IslandDaecheong IslandDaecheong Island is a 12.63 square km island in Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea, located near the Northern Limit Line. The 1953 s:Korean Armistice Agreement which ended the Korean War specified that the five islands including Daecheong Island would remain under U.N. and South Korea control. ...
, South Korean vessels opened fire reportedly causing serious damage to a North Korean patrol ship and one death. - On January 27, 2010, North Korea fired artillery shots into the water near the NLL and South Korean vessels returned fire. The incident took place near the South Korean-controlled Baengnyeong IslandBaengnyeong IslandBaengnyeong Island is a island in Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea, located near the Northern Limit Line. The 1953 s:Korean Armistice Agreement which ended the Korean War specified that the five islands including Baengnyeong Island would remain under United Nations Command and South Korea...
. Three days later, North Korea continued to fire artillery shots towards the area. - ROKS Cheonan sinkingROKS Cheonan sinkingThe ROKS Cheonan sinking occurred on 26 March 2010, when the Cheonan, a South Korean Navy ship carrying 104 personnel, sank off the country's west coast near Baengnyeong Island in the Yellow Sea, killing 46 seamen...
(2010) - The ROKS Cheonan (PCC-772)ROKS Cheonan (PCC-772)ROKS Cheonan was a South Korean Pohang-class corvette of the Republic of Korea Navy , commissioned in 1989. On 26 March 2010, it broke in two and sank near the sea border with North Korea...
, a South Korean corvette, was sunk by an explosion, killing 46 sailors; the resulting South-Korea-led international investigation blamed North Korea, which denied involvement. - Bombardment of YeonpyeongBombardment of YeonpyeongThe bombardment of Yeonpyeong was an artillery engagement between the North Korean military and South Korean forces stationed on Yeonpyeong Island on November 23, 2010. Following a South Korean regular artillery exercise at waters in the south, North Korean forces fired around 170 artillery shells...
(2010) - North Korean forces fired around 170 artillery shells at Yeonpyeong, killing four South Koreans, injuring 19, and causing widespread damage to the island's civilian fishing village.
Totals
Altogether, the disputes have resulted in:- 53 North Korean military personnel killed
- 54 South Korean military personnel killed
- 95 North Korean military personnel wounded
- 99 South Korean military personnel wounded
- 2 South Korean civilians killed
- 3 South Korean civilians wounded
Materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....
losses and damage include:
- 1 North Korean torpedo boatTorpedo boatA torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval vessel designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs rammed enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes, and later designs launched self-propelled Whitehead torpedoes. They were created to counter battleships and other large, slow and...
sunk - 1 North Korean gunboatGunboatA gunboat is a naval watercraft designed for the express purpose of carrying one or more guns to bombard coastal targets, as opposed to those military craft designed for naval warfare, or for ferrying troops or supplies.-History:...
damaged - 6 North Korean patrol boatPatrol boatA patrol boat is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defense duties.There have been many designs for patrol boats. They may be operated by a nation's navy, coast guard, or police force, and may be intended for marine and/or estuarine or river environments...
s damaged - 1 South Korean corvetteCorvetteA corvette is a small, maneuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft or fast attack craft , although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role...
sunk - 1 South Korean patrol boat sunk
- 1 South Korean corvette damaged
- 2 South Korean patrol boats damaged
See also
- Korean Demilitarized ZoneKorean Demilitarized ZoneThe Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
- Military Demarcation Line
- Armistice Agreement of 1953 - Wikisource has the full text of the armistice signed in 1953.