South Korea’s defence ministry said on Tuesday that North Korea’s firing of artillery shells was a clear violation of an armistice between the two countries, and said Pyongyang had planned the shelling intentionally.
“This is an intentional and planned attack … and it is clearly in violation of the armistice,” Lee Hong-ki, South Korea’s defence ministry official, told reporters.
The United States and Russia on Tuesday condemned the attack.
“The United States strongly condemns this attack and calls on North Korea to halt its belligerent action,” the White House said in a statement.
North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells at the South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong near the tense Yellow Sea border in one of the heaviest bombardments on the South since the Korean War ended in 1953.
The attack comes just as a US envoy was travelling to the region after revelations that the North was moving ahead with uranium enrichment, a possible second path to manufacture material for atomic weapons.
‘Absolutely unacceptable’
“The United States is firmly committed to the defence of our ally, the Republic of Korea, and to the maintenance of regional peace and stability,” the White House said, adding that it was in close and continuing contact with South Korea over the situation.
A senior Russian Foreign Ministry official said the attack was unacceptable and called on both sides to show restraint to prevent a wider conflict.
“We think the use of force on the Korean peninsula, and in international relations in general, is a path that is absolutely unacceptable,” the official told reporters on condition his name was not published.
“We think any dispute between North and South Korea must be decided exclusively by diplomatic means,” the official said.
“Now it is important that the situation does not cross over into a military conflict.”
Two marines killed
About 50 shells landed on the island, damaging dozens of houses and sending plumes of thick smoke into the air, YTN television reported.
Two South Korean marines — part of a contingent based permanently on the frontline island — was killed and 13 other marines were wounded, the military said. YTN said two civilians were also hurt.
“A Class-A military alert issued for battle situations was imposed immediately after shelling began,” a military spokesperson said.
Sporadic firing by each side continued for over an hour before dying out, the military said.
The shelling began at 2.34pm (5.34am GMT) after the North sent several messages protesting about South Korean naval, air force and army training exercises being staged close to the border, a presidential spokesperson said.
“Flashes along with a thunderous sound were seen here and there across our villages and up to 10 houses were engulfed in flames,” said Woo Soo-Woo (62) a guesthouse owner on the island.
The shooting started bushfires at several places in the hills, he told Agence France-Presse by phone after fleeing the island by ferry for the mainland port of Incheon.
‘The whole village was on fire’
“Frightened villagers rushed to nearby shelters while others were busy running away and crowded the port to escape,” Woo said, adding about 1 500 to 1 700 civilians live on the island.
“When I walked out, the whole village was on fire,” another villager was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying. “I’m at the evacuation site with other villagers and I am scared to death.”
Yeonpyeong lies just south of the border declared by United Nations forces after the war, but north of the sea border declared by Pyongyang.
The Yellow Sea border was the scene of deadly naval clashes in 1999, 2002 and last November.
Tensions have been acute since the sinking of a South Korean warship in March, which Seoul says was the result of a North Korean torpedo attack. Pyongyang has rejected the charge.
South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak convened an emergency meeting of ministers and top advisers in an underground war room, a presidential spokesperson said. He urged the officials “to prevent further escalation”.
The firing comes after Kim Jong-Un, the little-known youngest son of ailing North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il, was officially recognised as his father’s eventual successor.
“This is an intentional provocation to heighten cross-border tensions,” said Dongguk University professor Kim Yong-Hyun.
“The North made a series of gestures but there has been no response from South Korea and the United States. It is now using its brinkmanship aimed at forcing Seoul and Washington to take action and agree to dialogue.”
Kim said the North would try to use the clash to promote solidarity among its people during the leadership succession.
“It is also sending a strong message to the United States and the international community that the peninsula urgently needs a peace regime.” – Reuters, AFP