What the hell is going on in South Korea?
Major news outlets are reporting this early, early morning that N. Korea has fired artillery rounds upon the S. Korean island, YeonPyeong, which is found in the Yellow Sea. YeonPyeong is home to fishing villages and a large military base, says a CNN correspondant above.
S. Korean news are reporting that fourteen people sustained injuries and one person was killed in the attack, although this report has yet to be verified by government officials. CNN writes:
At least 200 rounds of artillery hit an inhabited South Korean island in the Yellow Sea after the North started firing about 2:30 p.m. local time, Yonhap said.
South Korea’s military responded with 80 rounds of artillery and deployed fighter jets to counter the fire, the report said.
[…]
The North Korean fire came as the South’s military conducted routine drills in waters off the island, which is about 10 kilometers [6 miles] from the North.
The Yellow Sea has been a longstanding flashpoint between the two Koreas, but Tuesday’s attack was an escalation in violence.
“Our navy was conducting a maritime exercise near the western sea border today. North Korea has sent a letter of protest over the drill. We’re examining a possible link between the protest and the artillery attack,” presidential spokeswoman Kim said, according to Yonhap.
CNN further reports that an emergency meeting was held by S. Korean government leaders.
My prayers go out to everybody in the area. Hopefully the tensions between North and South Korea do not escalate further, and this whole incident can be resolved without further bloodshed.
