South Korean Defense Minister Kim Resigns

South Korean Defense Minister Kim resigns

2010-11-25 23:28:21 GMT+7 (ICT)

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (BNO NEWS) -- South Korea's Minister of Defense Kim Tae-young on Thursday resigned after he was highly criticized for his response to North Korea's attack this week.

Kim had first intended to resign in May after the North Korean attack on the South Korean warship Cheonan in March, but it was not until Thursday that President Lee Myung-bak accepted his resignation after the attack on the border island of Yeonpyeong.

After the attack, Kim decided not to use its air force in order to avoid a full war, but the country has vowed to increase its security measures in the Yellow Sea. However, harsh criticism has questioned the country's tolerance regarding foreign attacks.

Meanwhile, North Korea has not been shy about threatening with further attacks if it is 'provoked.'

"The Korean People's Army will deal without hesitation the second and third strong physical retaliatory blow," North Korea said through state media.

The attack on Yeonpeyong began around 2.30 p.m. local time on Tuesday when North Korea fired nearly 200 artillery shells near the South Korean island, which has a population of nearly 1,700.

The attack came days after North Korea unveiled a vast new facility it secretly and rapidly built to enrich uranium.

Local officials said a total of 22 buildings, mostly civilian houses, were either hit by the shells or destroyed by ensuing fires after Tuesday's attack. The two civilians, both men in their 60s who were working on a construction site for the Marines, were found dead on Wednesday.

Most of the island's residents have already evacuated to the nearby port city of Incheon ahead of a planned U.S.-South Korea joint military exercise.

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