North Korea has fired several artillery shells into South Korea

North Korea has fired several artillery shells across its western maritime border, prompting return fire from South Korea, reports say.

Some of the shells were reported to have landed on a South Korean island.

A television station said some houses on the island were on fire, but this has not been formally confirmed by South Korean defence officials.

The incident comes days after North Korea revealed it had a modern uranium enrichment plant.

Earlier, the US ruled out more denuclearisation talks while Pyongyang continued to work on the facility.

South Korean officials said several rounds of artillery landed on Yeonpyeong island, near the disputed inter-Korean maritime border to the west of the Korean Peninsula.

"A North Korean artillery unit staged an illegal firing provocation at 2:34 PM (0534 GMT) and South Korean troops fired back immediately in self-defence," a defence ministry spokesman told AFP.

23 November 2010 Last updated at 07:11 GMT

Artillery fire on Korean border
Smoke rising from Yeonpyeong island - BBC News grab Houses on the island are said to be on fire after the artillery exchange shells across its western maritime border, prompting return fire from South Korea, officials say.

Dozens of the shells landed on a South Korean island, from which plumes of smoke are rising. At least four soldiers are said to have been hurt.

South Korea has issued its highest non-wartime alert in response.

Correspondents say this is one of the most serious incidents between the two since the Korean War in the 1950s.

Top leaders are meeting in an underground bunker in Seoul over the incident, Reuters news agency reported.

The incident comes days after North Korea revealed it had a modern uranium enrichment plant - potentially giving it a second route to a nuclear weapon.

Earlier, the US ruled out more denuclearisation talks while Pyongyang continued to work on the facility.

South Korean officials said artillery rounds landed on Yeonpyeong island, near the disputed inter-Korean maritime border to the west of the Korean Peninsula.
Map

"A North Korean artillery unit staged an illegal firing provocation at 1434 PM (0534 GMT) and South Korean troops fired back immediately in self-defence," a defence ministry spokesman told AFP.

A resident on the island told the agency that dozens of houses were damaged, while television pictures reportedly showed plumes of smoke rising above the island.

"Houses and mountains are on fire and people are evacuating. You can't see very well because of plumes of smoke," a witness on the island told YTN television station.

"People are frightened to death and shelling continues as we speak," the witness said.

South Korea had deployed fighter jets to the island, Yonhap news agency said.

This western maritime border has been the scene of numerous clashes between the two Koreas in the past.

In March, a South Korean warship went down near the border with the loss of 46 lives.

International investigators say a North Korean torpedo sank the ship, although Pyongyang denies any role in the incident.

Since then relations between the two neighbours - who have not signed a peace treaty since the 1950-53 Korean War - have been very tense.

Northe Korea just attacked South Korea .... 3rd World War ?? ....

.......

North Korea fire missile South Korea PM now hide underground war room

SEOUL: North Korea on Tuesday fired dozens of shells at a South Korean border island, setting buildings ablaze and injuring several people, Seoul officials and media reports said.

South Korean troops based on the island fired back and the military was put on top alert, the defence ministry said.

YTN television said air force jets were scrambled, after what appeared to be one of the most serious border incidents since the 1950-53 war.

The ministry said four Marines -- part of a contingent based permanently on Yeonpyeong island -- were injured, one of them seriously, and YTN said two civilians were hurt.

A resident of the island near the tense Yellow Sea border told YTN by phone that some 50 shells landed and dozens of houses were damaged.

South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak held an emergency security meeting, a presidential spokesman said.

"He is now in an underground war room to discuss possible responses with ministers of related agencies and national security advisers... we are closely watching the situation," the spokesman told AFP.

Lee urged the officials to "handle it (the situation) well to prevent further escalation," the spokesman said.

"I was at home but suddenly heard a thunderous sound outside. When I walked out, the whole village was on fire," a villager was quoted by Yonhap news agency as saying.

"I'm at the evacuation site with other villagers and I am scared to death."

Another island resident, Lee Jong-Sik, told YTN: "At least 10 houses are burning. I can't see clearly for the smoke. The hillsides are also on fire.

"We were told by loudspeakers to flee our homes for bunkers."

TV footage showed huge plumes of smoke rising from the island.

"After both sides exchanged fire, we sent a warning message by loudspeaker and are watching the situation for now. A Class-A military alert issued for battle situations has been imposed immediately," a defence ministry spokesman
said.

Residents have been evacuated to safe areas and the military and police are checking the number of casualties, YTN said.

Defence Minister Kim Tae-Young said the South fired 80 shots in response to the North's shelling.

"We were carrying out naval, air force and army training exercises and they (the North) seem to have opened fire in objection," a military official was quoted as saying by YTN.

The incident comes amid high cross-border tensions over the North's nuclear programme and the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship near the border in March.

The South blames a North Korean torpedo attack while the North denies responsibility.

Yeonpyeong lies just south of the border declared by United Nations forces after the war, but north of the sea border declared by North Korea.

The Yellow Sea border was the scene of deadly naval clashes in 1999, 2002 and last November.

-AFP/wk

Re: Northe Korea just attacked South Korea .... 3rd World War ?? ....

Thick smokes after artillery shells ..... smashed into towns !!!

LOL

out of no where, they fire at SK.

Really unpredictable

N. Korea fires artillery on South
AP
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Smoke billows from Yeonpyeong island near the border against North Korea, in South Korea, Tuesday. North Korea shot dozens of rounds of artillery onto the populated S Korean island near their disputed western border Tuesday, military officials said.
AP Smoke billows from Yeonpyeong island near the border against North Korea, in South Korea, Tuesday. North Korea shot dozens of rounds of artillery onto the populated S Korean island near their disputed western border Tuesday, military officials said.

North Korea shot dozens of rounds of artillery onto a populated South Korean island near their disputed western border Tuesday, prompting South Korea to return fire and scramble fighter jets, military officials said. At least one South Korean marine reportedly was killed.

The skirmish came amid high tension over North Korea’s claim that it has a new uranium enrichment facility and just over a month after North Korean leader Kim Jong Il unveiled his youngest son Kim Jong Un as his heir apparent.

South Korea’s YTN television said one South Korean marine was killed and that two people were injured. The report said several houses were on fire and shells were still falling on Yeonpyeong island, which is about 100 km west of the coast. The station broadcast pictures of thick columns of black smoke rising from the island.

Yonhap news agency, quoting a military official, said four soldiers were wounded.

President Lee Myung-bak ordered officials to make sure that the firing wouldn’t escalate, according to Yonhap, quoting a presidential official. YTN said between 1,200 and 1,300 people live on the island, citing an island resident.

A South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official said dozens of rounds of artillery landed on the island and in the sea. The official says South Korea fired back. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of JCS rules, said South Korea’s military is on alert. He had no other details, and could not confirm the reports of casualties.

Tensions between the two Koreas have remained high since the sinking in March of a South Korean warship in which 46 sailors died. Seoul blamed a North Korean torpedo, while Pyongyang has denied any responsibility.

Keywords: Korean conflict, disputed borders

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/23/nkorea.skorea.military.fire/?hpt=T1
Report: N. Korea fires on S. Korea, killing 1 and injuring 15
By the CNN Wire Staff
November 23, 2010 -- Updated 0919 GMT (1719 HKT)
Click to play
South Korea holds emergency talks
STORY HIGHLIGHTS

* Ministers meet in a bunker under the presidential residence
* One South Korean soldier is killed, the Yonhap news agency says
* The South Korean Defense Ministry hasn't confirmed casualties
* The South's president urges calm

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea fired artillery toward its tense western sea border with South Korea on Tuesday, killing at least one South Korean soldier, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Two civilians and 13 other South Korean military personnel were injured, with three of the soldiers seriously hurt, Yonhap said.

However, a spokesman said the Ministry of Defense had not confirmed any deaths and that the military was checking on possible civilian casualties.

At least 200 rounds of artillery hit an inhabited South Korean island in the Yellow Sea after the North started firing about 2:30 p.m. local time, Yonhap said.

South Korea's military responded with 80 rounds of artillery and deployed fighter jets to counter the fire, the report said.
Sharp tensions on the Korean Peninsula
Report: N. Korea fires on S. Korea
RELATED TOPICS

* North Korea
* South Korea

The South Korean army also raised its alert condition, the report said.

Images of plumes of smoke were quickly broadcast on Yonhap television from the island of Yeonpyeong, with some homes on fire. It was not immediately clear how much damage the artillery had done. The island has a large military garrison.

The island has a total of about 1,300 residents, a fisherman who lives on the island told Yonhap.

Some residents started fleeing for the South Korean mainland, which is about 145 kilometers [90 miles] away. Other residents were seeking shelter at schools.

The South Korean government immediately called an emergency meeting of its security ministers, meeting in a bunker under the presidential residence in Seoul.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak ordered his ministers to take measures against an escalation of the situation, presidential spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung said, according to Yonhap.

"Take a stern response and carefully manage the situation from further escalating," the president said.

The North Korean fire came as the South's military conducted routine drills in waters off the island, which is about 10 kilometers [6 miles] from the North.

The Yellow Sea has been a longstanding flashpoint between the two Koreas, but Tuesday's attack was an escalation in violence.

"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," presidential spokeswoman Kim said, according to Yonhap.

The island is part of a small archipelago about 80 kilometers [49 miles] west of the South Korean port of Inchon, which serves Seoul, and is close to the tense Northern Limit Line, the maritime border between the two Koreas in the Yellow Sea.

A South Korean warship, the Cheonan was sunk in the area in March with the loss of 46 lives in a suspected North Korean torpedo attack.

North Korean artillery is extremely difficult to hit, because it is dug into coastal cliffs. Though the North has tested its artillery -- and tested anti-shipping missiles -- it has not fired artillery into South Korean territory in recent years.

One of North Korea's most potent threats is the hundreds of artillery barrels dug in along its demilitarized zone with South Korea and ranged on Seoul.

Yonhap television was covering the attack nonstop in South Korea, forgoing other news Tuesday. Meanwhile, state television in North Korea did not mention the attack.

would this constitute to an act of war?

zuoom said:

would this constitute to an act of war?

Click to expand...

Its just another battle (after a long hiatus) since the war never ended between them.