According to an Associated Press report filed Friday, November 26, 2010, North Korea launched a second attack on the South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island. The fresh attack occurred just hours after North Korea threatened war if the United States and South Korea go ahead with impending military exercises. North Korea’s new attack comes less than three days after it launched its first attack on the South Korean island and less than seven days after it unveiled more sophisticated uranium enrichment facilities.
North Korea Launches Second Attack in Three Days
According to Associated Press reporters Jin-Man Lee and Foster Klug, fresh artillery shots were heard Friday, November 26, 2010 at around 4:30 pm on South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island. The explosions occurred just after General Walter Sharp of the United States toured the island to survey damage from the previous shelling on Tuesday, November 23, 2010.
According to the AP report, officials from the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff were quoted as confirming the new rounds of artillery fire on the island. The island sits only about seven miles from the North Korean mainland. There were no immediate reports of damage.
North Korea Threatened War over United States – South Korean Joint Military Exercises
In another report filed Friday morning, November 26th by Reuters News Service, North Korea officials had threatened war earlier Friday over impending United States-South Korea joint military exercises to be held in the region. In the aftermath of the previous bombardment of the South Korean island on Tuesday, November 23rd, the United States chose to send naval ships, led by aircraft carrier USS George Washington, to the Yellow Sea for military exercises. North Korea officials made it clear that such exercises would bring war closer to reality.
In the wake of North Korea’s provocation, South Korea media reported President Lee Myng-bak of South Korea would name former security advisor Lee Hee-won as the new defense minister. The appointment of the new defense minister was made necessary after the former defense minister Kim Tae-young resigned after criticism over a perceived slow response to the shelling on Tuesday, November 23rd. The incident was the most aggressive action of North Korea towards South Korea since the end of the 1950-1953 Korean War.
American President Obama Expected to Call on China to Reign in North Korea
In their report, Reuters raised the possibility that American President Barack Obama would call on China President Hu Jintao to mediate the tense situation by reigning in North Korea. However, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman played down that strategy and said the focus should be on a revival of the six-party talks that formerly involved both Korean nations, the United States, Russia, China, and Japan.
Beyond calling for a revival of the six-party talks, the China spokesperson echoed North Korea’s concern over the impending United States – South Korea joint military exercises. Even if they do not always agree with North Korea’s tactics, China has long been a protectorate of North Korea in order to safeguard its own border against an American dominated Korean peninsula.
Sources:
Staffwriter, (2010). North Korea says War Closer. Reuters News Service via Drudge Report 2011. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
Lee, Jin-man & Klug, Foster. (2010). Artillery heard on tense Yellow Sea Island. Associated Press. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
Eric Coggins - Eric Coggins is a doctoral student at Regent University's School of Global Leadership & Entrepreneurship. From 2000 to 2006, he worked as ...
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