During the annual Hoguk military exercises, tensions between North and South Korea are always high. Seoul takes to the waters of the Yellow Sea off of the island of Yeonpyeong for military drills and naval exercises, which Pyongyang always bristles at. However, usually it doesn’t involve trading artillery fire, but this year it did. North Korea fired more than 200 rounds of artillery at the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, killing two and injuring 15; South Korea responded with 80 shells and fighter jets.
While the fighting between the two sides lasted only an hour, it was fairly intense. The 1300 people who make Yeonpyeong their home have been trickling into shelters or making the 90-mile trip to the South Korean mainland, their island ablaze thanks to North Korea’s guns. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak told his troops to respond, but not to escalate the situation into all-out war, though it’s obvious that North Korea is more than willing to open hostilities, despite not having any money.
“Take a stern response and carefully manage the situation from further escalating,” said President Myung-bak via a presidential spokeswoman. The spokeswoman added, “Our navy was conducting a maritime exercise near the western sea border today. North Korea has sent a letter of protest over the drill. We’re examining a possible link between the protest and the artillery attack.”
Tags: North Korea, South Korea, North Korea fires artillery at South Korea, Yellow Sea, North Korea fires 200 artillery shells at South Korea, North Korea attacks, war, Hoguk military exercises, Yeonpyeong, North and South Korea trade weapons fire for an hour, military attacks
