The last time the North and South Korean navies clashed seriously in 2002, the latter came off badly.

The ROK Navy seems to have been better prepared this time:

According to South Korean officials, fighting erupted when a 215-ton North Korean vessel ventured across the so-called Northern Limit Line, a sea border drawn by the United Nations at the end of the war. The North has never accepted the border, and there were deadly naval clashes in 1999 and 2002. Those moves were seen variously as an attempt to grab American attention or as a bargaining ploy to win food aid from the South.

Two 130-ton South Korean navy boats issued five warning broadcasts, then fired warning shots when they were ignored, officials said.

“It was then that the North Korean patrol boat attacked our high-speed patrol boat,” said Lee Ki-shik, a South Korean military spokesman.

The North Korean vessel then fired 50 rounds at a South Korean patrol boat about two miles away, causing light damage, Mr. Lee said.

The two South Korean vessels responded with 200 shots, officials said.

Apparently, the damaged North Korean vessel then retreated. I am heartened to see that the ROK military is back to using the Chicago Way (perhaps in honor of President Obama who is about to visit Seoul — although, contrary to the practice of the political left, one is supposed to use the Chicago Way against foreign enemies and the Marquess of Queensberry rules against domestic enemies, but I digress).