North Korea shells South in fiercest attack in decades

INCHEON, South Korea, (Reuters) – North Korea today fired dozens of artillery shells at a South Korean   island, killing two soldiers and setting houses ablaze, in one   of the heaviest attacks on its neighbour since the Korean War   ended in 1953.
The attack, with South Korea returning fire came as the   reclusive state has been pressing regional powers to return to   negotiations about its nuclear weapons programme, and it   follows revelations at the weekend that Pyongyang is fast   developing another source of material to make atomic bombs.
It also follows moves by iron leader Kim Jong-il to make   his youngest son heir apparent to the family dynasty.
Experts say that for decades the Korean leadership has   played a carefully calibrated game of provocations to win   concessions from the international community and impress his   own military. The risk is that the leadership transition has   upset this balance and that events spin out of control.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who has pursued a   hard line with the reclusive North since taking office nearly   three years ago, said a response had to be firm following the   attack on Yeonpyeong island, just 120 km (75 miles) west of   Seoul.
The two Koreas are still technically at war — the Korean   War ended only with a truce — and tension rose sharply early   this year after Seoul accused the North of torpedoing one of   its navy vessels, killing 46 sailors.
“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 before the   shelling ended after about an hour.
News of the attack rattled global markets, already   unsettled by Ireland’s debt woes and shifting to less risky   assets.
North Korea said its wealthy neighbour started the fight.
“Despite our repeated warnings, South Korea fired dozens   of shells from 1 p.m. … and we’ve taken strong military   action immediately,” its KCNA news agency said in a brief   statement.
South Korea has been conducting military exercises this   week but it was not clear whether there had been any drills   near the island that could have triggered the incident.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the latest   rise in tension represented a “colossal danger”.
China, the impoverished North’s only powerful ally, was   careful to avoid taking sides, calling on both Koreas to “do   more to contribute to peace”.
“China hopes that the relevant parties will do more to    contribute to peace and stability in the region … it is   imperative now to resume the six-party talks,” a spokesman for   the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hong Lei, told reporters.
Those talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme —   involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United   States — have long been on ice.
However, the reclusive North has recently been pushing to   resume the talks, which previously it has used to win massive   aid in return for promises to end its weapons programme.
YTN said at least 200 North Korean shells hit Yeonpyeong,   which lies off the west coast of the divided peninsula near a   disputed maritime border. Most landed on a military base there.
South Korea’s military said two soldiers were killed in   the attack, 17 were wounded and three civilians were also   hurt. South Korean military returned the fire and sent a jet   fighter to the area.
YTN showed pictures of plumes of smoke pouring from the   island and quoted a witness as saying fires were burning out   of control.
The attack comes just as a U.S. envoy is in Beijing on a   tour of the region and is expected to ask China to use its   influence to help tame North Korea.
Washington has branded the North a danger to the region   and expressed concern Pyongyang would sell nuclear weapons   technology to other states. It has said it was ready to return   to talks but wants to see more commitment to denuclearisation   by the North beforehand.
The White House condemned the attack, telling the North to   halt its “belligerent action” and saying it was committed to   defend the South.
It has about 28,000 troops in South Korea, their combined   forces facing an estimated one million North Korean soldiers   who make up one of the world’s biggest standing armies.
“UNBELIEVABLE”
“It’s unbelievable,” said Zhu Feng, professor of   international relations at Peking University. “Today’s news   proves that North Korea, under unprovoked conditions, shot   these South Korean islands. It’s reckless provocation. They   want to make a big bang and force the negotiations back into   their favour. It’s the oldest trick.”
The North depends heavily on China for economic and   diplomatic support and its leader, Kim Jong-il, has visited   China twice this year, in part to gain backing for the   anointment of his son as heir.
Those ties have become a sore point with Washington after   reports that North Korea appears to have made big steps   towards enriching uranium, possibly using technology that   passed through or even originated in China.
China has urged returning to the nuclear disarmament   negotiations but has also fended off calls from the U.S. and   its regional allies to use its vital food and energy aid to   North Korea as a lever.