South Korea has detained eight Chinese fishermen after their boat collided with a patrol ship in an incident that imperils relations with China at a time when the US and others are pushing Beijing to broker a detente on the Korean peninsula.
Tensions remained high over the weekend, with Seoul scheduled to go ahead with artillery drills on Yeonpyeong island, the site of a recent North Korean attack that killed four South Koreans, as early as today or Tuesday. Seoul had postponed the drills, citing bad weather.
North Korea, which has vowed retaliation if the drills proceed, raised its military alert in response on Sunday, according to a South Korean official quoted by the Yonhap news agency.