SEOUL: A badly damaged North Korean patrol ship retreated in flames today after a skirmish with a South Korean naval vessel along their disputed western coast, the first such clash in seven years.

There were no South Korean casualties, the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, and it was not immediately clear if there were any casualties on the North Korean side. Each side blamed the other for violating the sea border.

The exchange of fire occurred as US officials said President Barack Obama has decided to send a special envoy to Pyongyang for rare direct talks on the communist country’s nuclear weapons program. No date has been set but it would be the first one-on-one talks since Obama took office in January. Obama is due in Seoul next week.

“It’s a regrettable incident,” said South Korean Commodore Lee Ki-sik “We are sternly protesting to North Korea and urging it to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents.” North Korea’s military issued a statement blaming South Korea for the “grave armed provocation,” saying its ships crossed into North Korean territory.

The North claimed that a group of South Korean warships opened fire but fled after the North’s patrol boat dealt “a prompt retaliatory blow.” The statement said that South Korea should apologise. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who convened an emergency security meeting, ordered the defence minister to strengthen military readiness.

The clash occurred near the South-held island of Daecheong, about 120 nautical miles off the port city of Incheon, west of Seoul,