Seoul , South Korea ( CNN ) -- The South Korean military apologized Monday for shooting at a commercial airplane carrying 119 passengers and crew . The Asiana Airlines flight was preparing to land Friday morning at Incheon International Airport , 70 kilometers ( 43 miles ) west of Seoul , when two soldiers fired at the aircraft after mistaking it for a North Korean military jet . The soldiers were on Gyodong Island near the North Korean border . After firing 99 rounds , they reported the incident . The South Korean military claims the rounds were only warning shots from K-2 rifles , and there was no damage to the aircraft because it was out of range . `` I sincerely apologize for causing the public concern over the incident , '' Col. Lee Bung-Woo , spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff , said Monday . The aircraft , on its way from Chengdu , China , was `` flying on its regular route under command of the flight control tower , '' Asiana Airlines spokesman Ki Won Suh said . Asiana confirmed two other flights flew on the same route 20 minutes before and after the firing incident , raising questions about why only one flight concerned the soldiers . The passengers and pilots were unaware they had been fired upon until they landed . `` We understand the guards need more education on how to distinguish civilian airplanes , '' said Lee , the military spokesman . But the South Korean military said it will not reprimand the two soldiers because they acted in accordance with procedure . The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions between the two Koreas . Pyongyang said it would cut off all ties with Seoul last month , accusing the South of waging psychological warfare by sending propaganda into North Korea undermining the regime . CNN 's Jiyeon Lee contributed to this report .
The soldiers fired 99 rounds after mistaking the plane for a North Korean military plane . Military official : Guards ` ` for more education on how to handle civilian airplanes '' The South Korean airline says the shots fired were warning shots . The airline says two other flights were on the same route within an hour .