UPDATE 3 - N. Korean attack sets S. Korean island ablaze, at least 1 dead

[News_Editor]

UPDATE 3 - N. Korean attack sets S. Korean island ablaze, at least 1 dead

2010-11-23 15:46:29 GMT+7 (ICT)

SEOUL (BNO NEWS) -- Fires were burning out of control at a South Korean island on Tuesday afternoon after a sudden attack by North Korea, killing at least one person and injuring others.

The attack began around 2.30 p.m. local time when North Korea started firing more than 200 artillery shells near the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, which has a population of nearly 1,200. Some of the shells struck the island itself.

Thick clouds of black smoke were seen rising from the island in wake of the attack, which put between 60 and 70 houses on fire and was quickly spreading. A South Korean military base was also heavily impacted by the shells.

Col. Lee Bung-woo, spokesman for the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), confirmed one of its marines had been killed in the attack. He said 13 other service members were also injured, including three who sustained serious injuries. At least four civilians were also injured.

Seoul confirmed it responded with its own artillery fire and scrambled F-16 fighter jets to respond to the sudden attack, which comes days after North Korea unveiled a vast new facility it secretly and rapidly built to enrich uranium.

South Korean government officials, including President Lee Myung-bak, were meeting at an underground bunker in Seoul to discuss how to respond to the dramatic escalation. "Deal resolutely but make all-out efforts not to aggravate the situation," Lee was cited as saying during the crisis meeting.

The Won quickly lowered against the Dollar and the Bank of Korea announced it would schedule an emergency meeting of senior officials to discuss the situation.

China, North Korea's main ally, offered few comments about the incident but urged both sides to continue with peace and stability in mind. "We have noticed related reports and are concerned about the issue," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei. "The real situation needs to be confirmed."

Hong Lei also urged all parties concerned to jointly create conditions to restart the six-party talks at the earliest possible date. "We hope related parties to do things conductive to peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," he said.

In Japan, Prime Minister Naoto Kan directed the government to establish an information coordination center to deal with the incident and directed officials to be ready for any possible Korean incidents.

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