Korea, November 10: North and South Korea’s navies clashed briefly in the Yellow Sea today, just ahead of a visit to Asia this week by US President Barack Obama, in an incident that left a northern vessel damaged.
North Korea has a habit of increasing tension prior to major regional events and has been seeking direct talks with the Obama administration while riling global powers by last week saying it had produced more arms-grade plutonium.
The United States will announce in the next several days whether it will start direct talks with North Korea amid signs Pyongyang may be ready to return to broader nuclear disarmament negotiations, a US official said yesterday.
–Agencies