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2010 Yeonpyeong bombardment

Coordinates: 37°40′0″N 125°41′47″E / 37.66667°N 125.69639°E / 37.66667; 125.69639
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37°40′0″N 125°41′47″E / 37.66667°N 125.69639°E / 37.66667; 125.69639

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Shelling of Yeonpyeong
Part of the Korean War, Crab Wars

Yeonpyeong Island (numbered 3)
Date23 November 2010
Location
Yeonpyeong, Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea
Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
 North Korea  South Korea
Strength
Unknown Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown 2 killed
16 wounded[1]
3 South Korean civilians wounded

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The shelling of Yeonpyeong was an international incident that occurred on the Korean Peninsula on 23 November 2010. It began at 14:34 KST (05:34 UTC) on 23 November, when North Korean artillery began shelling the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong,[2] though the official North Korean news agency KCNA stated that North Korea only fired after the South had "recklessly fired into our sea area" (the South was engaging in an artillery training exercise in the vicinity).[3]

Background

Since the signing of the Korean War armistice between the United Nations and North Korea in 1953, North Korea has disputed the western maritime border called the Northern Limit Line claimed by South Korea. Instead of recognizing the Northern Limit Line, the North Korean government claims a border farther south that encompasses valuable fishing grounds as well as several South Korean-held islands including Yeonpyeong. In an effort to assert its territorial claims, the North Koreans throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s made several incursions south of the Northern Limit Line sparking a naval battle near the island of Yeonpyeong in 1999 as well as another engagement in the same area in 2002.[4] Although there were no further serious clashes for a time, in 2009 increasing tensions along the disputed border led to a naval battle near the island of Daecheong and accusations that a North Korean submarine had sunk the South Korean corvette Cheonan off Baengnyeong Island.[5][6]

The day before the incident, the South Korean government announced it was considering requesting that the United States station tactical nuclear weapons in Korea for the first time in 19 years.[7]

Engagement

On 23 November 2010 South Korea held a naval exercise, and then at approximately 14:34 local time, the North Korean military began to fire artillery shells at South Korean positions on Yeonpyeong Island. With the South Korean military base as well as several civilian buildings taking severe fire, the South Korean military responded with artillery fire from K-9 155mm self-propelled howitzers against two North Korean coastal artillery bases.[8][9] With power on Yeonpyeong knocked out and several fires breaking out as a result of the North Korean shelling, the South Korean military ordered civilians to evacuate to bunkers.[10][11] The South Korean military reinforced its assets on the island by scrambling South Korean Air Force F-16 fighter jets to the area.[2]

According to an island resident, after South Korean forces "staged an artillery exercise, shells from the North started falling into our island".[12]

The South Korean Deputy Minister of Defense acknowledged that South Korean artillery units had earlier been firing test shots close to the North Korean coast from Baengnyeong Island, but denied that the shots had crossed into the North Korean sea area.[3]

At 11:33 GMT, Secretary Kwon, attache at the Ministry of Defence in Seoul told the BBC World Service that "The firing has now stopped. Civilians are in shelters".[13]

It was reported that North Korea fired more than 100 shells and South Korea fired 80.[1]

Cause

The North Korean actions were believed by some experts to have been at least partially due to the succession of power taking place in the North Korean government, with Kim Jong-un assuming control of the country from Kim Jong-il, and the role of the North Korean military in foreign policy.[14] It has also been suggested that the provocation is linked to the North's need for food aid.[15]

Timeline

All times are in Korea Standard Time.

08:00

8:20: North sends a telex message requesting "a halt to South's firing of artillery for a defensive military training".

10:00

10:00: South starts the regular artillery training exercise.

14:00

14:34 – 14:55: North starts firing dozens of shells.

14:38: South conducts emergency sorties with two KF-16 fighters.

14:40: South switches to four F-15K fighters.

14:46: South conducts another emergency sortie with two KF-16 fighters.

14:47: South fires back with the first round of K-9 howitzers.

14:50: The highest alert (Alert Jindotgae Hana) ever given for a local provocation is issued.

15:00

15:11: North starts firing dozens of shells for the second time.

15:25: South fires back with K-9 howitzers.

15:30: South teletexts the North's military general level talk representative requesting an immediate halt to artillery shelling.

15:40 – 16:00: ROK JCS Han Min-gu and USFK Commander Walter Sharp have a video conference (a review of cooperative crisis management)

15:41: North stops firing.

16:00

16:30: First military casualty reported.

16:35 – 21:50: Foreign and National Security representatives have a meeting.

18:00

18:40: Lee Hong-gi, ROK JCS Director of Operations, holds a press briefing.

20:00

20:35 – 21:10: South Korean President Lee Myung-bak meets with his Joint Chief of Staff.[16]

Aftermath

The shelling caused several casualties among South Koreans living on Yeongpyeong. Two South Korean marines, Sergeant Seo Jeong-wu and Private Moon Gwang-wuk, were killed, six were seriously wounded, and ten were treated for minor injuries. At least three civilians were also wounded.[1] Additionally, the attack started fires on the island.[12]

The North Korean attack had a global impact on the financial markets. Several Asian currencies weakened against the euro and U.S. dollar, while at the same time Asian stock markets declined.[17] The impact of the shelling on the financial industry led South Korea's central bank, the Bank of Korea, to hold an emergency meeting to assess the impact of the fighting on the markets.[18]

President Lee instructed the military to strike North Korea's missile base near the coastline artillery position if there were an indication of further provocation.[19]

Lee Hong-gi, the Director of Operations of ROK JCS, announced in a press conference, "There may be a considerable number of North Korean casualties".[20]

International reaction

  •  Brazil — President of Brazil Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that his current position was to "condemn any attempt of attack from North Korea to South Korea". According to him, "Brazil is against any attack to another country. We will not allow, in any circumstance, any attempt to violate another country's sovereignty".[22]
  •  Bulgaria — Bulgarian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack and urged both North and South Korea to restrain from any further military provocations.[23]
  •  Republic of China — President Ma Ying-jeou accused North Korea of "provoking tension" on the Peninsula and asked government departments to closely monitor the situation.[27]
  •  Germany - Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle assured South Korea of "our support and sympathy in this difficult time," while expressing worry that the "new military provocation threatens peace in the region". He urged all parties to "act in a cool-headed manner" and de-escalate the situation. [32]
  •  Hungary — State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Zsolt Németh condemned the North Korean attack against Yeonpyeong. He also said that it is yet unknown how serious the conflict is.[33]
  •  Indonesia — Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa expressed concern at the incident, calling on both sides to "immediately cease hostilities, exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation of tension".[34]
  •  Latvia — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Latvia urges both parties to "adhere to the Korean armistice agreement of 1953" and "condemns" any actions that might aggravate the situation.[36]
  •  Mexico - Mexican government condemned strongly the attack against Yeonpyeong island, and demanded North Korea "to stop its hostilities".[37]
  •  New Zealand - Foreign Minister Murray McCully condemned the incident, expressing "outrage" over the attack and the loss of life, but emphasized that "this is a time for cool heads in order to avoid this clash escalating into a more serious threat to the stability of the region".[38]
  •  Norway — Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated that "- The clashes and the raised tension in the border area between South and North Korea are alarming. An armed conflict would have very serious consequences. Both parties must now show restraint".[39]
  •  Poland — The Foreign Ministry expressed "deep concern" over the incident, adding that it could bring about a crisis in the region and hoping that "the two sides would avoid escalation".[40]
  •  Russia— The Foreign Ministry stated that "the use of force is an unacceptable path [and that] [a]ny disputes in relations between the North and the South must be settled politically and diplomatically". Additionally, it urged both the sides "to demonstrate restraint and peace,"[41] and warned of a "colossal danger" and the "huge responsibility" of those behind the attack.[42]
  •  Slovenia — Slovenian politician Jelko Kacin, who is part of the European delegation for relations with Korean Peninsula, condemned the "provocations from the north" [43]
  •  Sweden — Foreign Minister Carl Bildt commented on his blog, calling the incident "very worrying" and for China to "use the full extent of its influence over Pyongyang to affect its regime".[44]
  •  United Kingdom — Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a statement that "[t]he UK strongly condemns North Korea's unprovoked attack" and that it "strongly urge[s] North Korea to refrain from such attacks and adhere to the Korean Armistice agreement".[13]
  •  United States — The United States strongly condemned the attack. The White House called on North Korea "to halt its belligerent action".[46]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Kim, Dong-hyeon (2010-11-23). "북한 해안포 도발 감행, 연평도에 포탄 100여발 떨어져". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  2. ^ a b "Report: N. Korea fires on S. Korea, injuring at least 17". CNN. November 23, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  3. ^ a b McDonald, Mark (November 23, 2010). "North and South Korea Exchange Fire, Killing Two". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  4. ^ "Northern Limit Line (NLL) West Sea Naval Engagements". GlobalSecurity.org. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  5. ^ Harden, Blaine (2009-11-12). "North Korea says naval skirmish was 'planned provocation' by South". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  6. ^ Ryall, Julian (2010-11-03). "North Korea's investigation into sinking of Cheonan decries 'conspiratorial farce'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  7. ^ VOANews "S. Korea Could Seek Deployment of US Tactical Nuclear Weapons" 22 November 2010
  8. ^ "North Korea Fires On Island in South, 2 Dead". Fox News Channel. Associated Press. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  9. ^ http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2010/11/defense-south-korea-vows-retaliation-to-attack-112310/
  10. ^ "N.Korea shells S.Korea island, 4 troops wounded". Google News. AFP. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  11. ^ "South Koreans hurt, evacuated after North Korea firing". Reuters. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  12. ^ a b Lim Chang-Won (2010-11-23). "Islanders tell of terror as N.Korean shells land". AFP. MySinchew. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  13. ^ a b "Korean crisis". BBC News. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  14. ^ "Behind the Koreas' Artillery Fire: Kim's Succession". Time Magazine. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  15. ^ "'Crisis Status' in South Korea After North Shells Island". New York Times. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  16. ^ Kim, Hojun (2010-11-23). "<北 해안포 사격 시간대별 현황>(종합2보)". Yonhap (in Korean). Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  17. ^ Lui, Patricia (2010-11-23). "Asian Currencies Slump, Led by Won, on Korean Artillery Fire". Bloomberg Businessweek. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  18. ^ "Two Koreas exchange fire across maritime border". Reuters. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  19. ^ So-hyun, Kim (23 November 2010). "S. Korea may strike N. Korea's missile base: President Lee". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  20. ^ Gwon, Seung-jun (23 November 2010). "합참 "우리 군 대응사격으로 북한 측 피해도 상당할 것"". The Chosun Ilbo. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Text "urlhttp://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/11/23/2010112301706.html" ignored (help)
  21. ^ Johnson, Stephen (23 November 2010). "North Korea 'gravely concerns' Gillard". Sydney Morning Herald. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  22. ^ "Lula condena ataque da Coreia do Norte à ilha sul-coreana". Terra. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  23. ^ "Bulgaria condemns the artillery attack on South Korea (in Bulgarian)". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Bulgaria). 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  24. ^ "LS. Korea threatens 'enormous retaliation' after attack". CBC News. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  25. ^ . AFP. 2010-11-23 http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jfKdNjzOEtC3ykgCsxrFj_kaGqlg?docId=CNG.3dc44dd9702b8e6a6555a2ff8e3c30c9.3d1. Retrieved 2010-11-23. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  26. ^ "China expresses concern over allegedly exchange of fire between DPRK, ROK". Xinhua News Agency. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  27. ^ "Ma accused North Korea's provocative act". Radio Taiwan International. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  28. ^ "Løkke condemns North Korea". Ekstra Bladet. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  29. ^ a b "N Korean artillery strike worries world". Sydney Morning Herald. Agence France-Presse. November 23, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  30. ^ "Finland voices concern over situation in Korea". Helsingin Sanomat. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  31. ^ "France calls on North Korea to end 'provocations' after strike". The Times of India. AFP. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  32. ^ "Westerwelle 'very worried' by North Korean attack". The Local. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  33. ^ "Hungary condemned the North Korean aggression". Magyar Távirati Iroda. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  34. ^ "Minister Natalegawa: Indonesia calls on both sides to immediately cease hostilities, exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation of tension". Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 23 November 2010.
  35. ^ "Lieberman on N. Korea attack: Crazy regime must be stopped". Ynet. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  36. ^ "Foreign Ministry voices concern regarding aggravation of situation on Korean Peninsula". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. 23 November 2010.
  37. ^ "México condena ataque armado norcoreano". eluniversal.mx. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  38. ^ "NZ condemns attack on South Korea". New Zealand Herald. 23 November 2010.
  39. ^ "Oppfordrer Nord- og Sør-Korea til å vise tilbakeholdenhet" (in Norwegian). Ministry of Foreign Affairs. November 23, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  40. ^ "Poland expresses 'deep concern' over Korean border conflict". thenews.pl. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  41. ^ "Moscow calls on two Koreas to exercise restraint". Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
  42. ^ "Koreas in border artillery clash". BBC News. November 23, 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  43. ^ http://www.zurnal24.si/svet/severna-koreja-obstreljuje-juzno-192416/clanek
  44. ^ Oroande från Korea « Alla Dessa Dagar
  45. ^ "North Korea threatens continued strikes on South". Emirates 24/7. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  46. ^ "North Korea Fires Artillery at South Korean Island". CNBC. Reuters. 2010-11-23. Retrieved 2010-11-23.
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