SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s military said it fired warning shots early Friday to drive away a North Korean merchant ship that briefly crossed the disputed western sea boundary between the rival neighbors.

The ship crossed the Northern Limit Line near the South Korean border island of Baengnyeong around 5 a.m. but retreated after South Korea's military issued an audio warning and fired warning shots, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

There were no immediate reports that North Korean forces returned fire or responded with force.

The response was carried out in accordance with operational procedures and the military remains in a heightened state of readiness to firmly safeguard territorial waters, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

South Korea’s military frequently has

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