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A South Korean warship has exchanged fire with a North Korean naval vessel, reports from both countries say. Officials in Seoul say the South Korean vessel opened fire when the Northern ship crossed a disputed sea border. The North Korean vessel then fired back. North Korea insists its ship did not cross the border, and has demanded an apology, according to news agency KCNA. The two navies have engaged in deadly exchanges twice along their western sea border in the past decade. The incident comes days before US President Barack Obama visits Asia, with North Korea seeking direct talks on its nuclear programme. In the North's version of events, a patrol boat was on a mission to confirm "an unidentified object" on the North's side of the border, and while it was sailing back, South Korean ships chased it and opened fire in a "grave armed provocation". The North Korean vessel "lost no time to deal a prompt retaliatory blow at the provokers", KCNA said. "Much flurried by this, the group of warships of the South Korean forces hastily took to flight to the waters of their side."