NK Attacks

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea has fired artillery shells at a South Korean military at an inhabited South Korean island. Two South Korean Marines have been killed and both soldiers and civilians were wounded.



[Pkg]

North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells toward Yeonpyeong Island Tuesday afternoon.



[Soundbite] (Yeonpyeong Islander) : "It was chaotic. Several houses caught fire after the shells landed on the island. That’s the sound of gunfiring in the North."



The shells were fired from a North Korean base in the Yellow Sea for more than one hour. South Korean forces fired back 80 K-9 self-propelled shells. South Korean Marines Seo Jeong-wook and Moon Gwang-ok were killed. Dozens of other South Korean soldiers and civilians were wounded and received medical treatment. Yeonpyeong Island residents are used to the sound of gunfire, but say they were shocked by Tuesday’s attack.



[Soundbite]



We ran outside and lay down on the ground. The sounds of gunfiring could be heard everywhere. There was fire everywhere. It was very scary.



[Soundbite]



I’ve never seen anything quite like that. Houses that caught fire are still burning.



Because the North targeted civilians as well as soldiers, Pyongyang apparently planned the attack with civilian casualties in mind.



[Soundbite] Lt. Gen. Lee Hong-ki (Dir, Operations Bureau at the Joint Chiefs of Staff) : "If North Korea stages more attacks, we’ll take stern measures to protect the Northern Limit Line and the South Korean territory."



Seoul is closely monitoring the situation given the chance of further attacks by Pyongyang. The emergency alert in the area has been raised to its highest level.



2. Timeline



[Anchor Lead]

Yeonpyeong Island was engulfed in flames and horror during the two-hour artillery bombardment. Here’s more on what happened during the attack.



[Pkg]

At 2:34 p.m. Tuesday Korean time, North Korea begins to fire dozens of artillery shells toward Yeonpyeong Island from its base in the Yellow Sea.



The attack lasts 21 minutes. The artillery shells land not only in the sea but on the island. Several houses and surrounding mountains catch fire, prompting residents to evacuate.



At 2:47 p.m., the F-15 fighter jets of the South Korean Air Force are dispatched to the area. The military fire dozens of K-9 self-propelled artillery shells toward the North.



At 2:50 p.m., the emergency alert in the area is raised to the highest level.



At 3 p.m., a 10-minute ceasefire occurs but ten minutes later the North resumes firing.



At 3:41 p.m., after the 30-minute second attack, the North stops firing.



At 3:42 p.m., President Lee Myung-bak convenes an emergency national security meeting. At 3:50 p.m., the South Korean military urges the North to stop the attack.



At 4:17, some 1,700 Yeonpyeong Island residents evacuate to air-raid shelters.



At 6 p.m., Cheong Wa Dae says it will take stern measures if North Korea launches more attacks.



3. Seeking Intent



[Anchor Lead]

North Korea’s first direct artillery attack on South Korean soil since the end of the Korean War as been met with sheer shock. It has led to intense speculation over the motives behind the attack. Here are a few explanations.



[Pkg]

North Korea has launched a direct artillery attack on South Korean soil for the first time since the signing of the 1953 armistice ending the Korean War. South Korea says the attack was planned and intentional since civilians were also targeted and some 100 shells were fired.



[Soundbite] Lt. Gen. Lee Hong-ki (Dir, Operations Bureau at the Joint Chiefs of Staff) : "It is clearly North Korea’s planned, intentional and illegal attack that violates the UN Charter, the inter-Korean armistice treaty and the non-aggression pact."



South Korean forces immediately fired back and issued their highest security alert "Jindokgae 1" to protect against further attacks. The artillery attack was most likely ordered by North Korean leader Kim Jong-il himself, just like the attack on the Cheonan in March.



[Soundbite] Kim Hui-sang (Fmr Chm. of National Emergency Commission) : "Given the North Korean system, a planned provocation can’t take place without approval by the highest leader Kim Jong-il."



Experts say North Korea seeks to give a jolt to its stalled relations with South Korea and the U.S. through the attack. Pyongyang has unveiled new uranium enrichment facilities but this has failed to get Seoul and Washington to change their stances. Experts say the North seeks to exploit inter-Korean tension to solidify its father-to-son succession and to overshadow the Cheonan sinking with an even bigger military provocation.



4. UN Concerns



[Anchor Lead]

The United Nations is also responding quickly to the North Korean attack. UN Security Council member states are discussing measures including convening an emergency meeting and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has expressed grave concern and decried North Korea’s actions



[Pkg]

UN Security Council member nations, through informal contacts, have begun full-fledged talks on North Korea’s provocation.They may decide to convene an urgent meeting. British Ambassador to the UN Mark Lyall Grant remarked on the North’s artillery attack during a security council meeting on the Middle East issue that opened today.



The council’s current chair is the the United Kingdom. Grant also reportedly said that he is discussing response measures with representatives of the 14 council members. In an earlier phone call with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, the British ambassador is known to have urged the need to convene a council meeting under the current circumstances. Meanwhile in interviews with foreign media, the North Korean representative to the UN argued that his country exercised self-defense rights against a preemptive South Korean attack and the matter isn’t something to be discussed at the Security Council.



In a statement, Secretary General Ban called the artillery attack one of the gravest incidents since the end of the Korean War. He denounced the communist state and called for immediate restraint.



5. World Media



[Anchor Lead]

The eyes of the entire world are on the Korean Peninsula after the surprise attack. Major foreign media halted regular broadcasts to report on the incident.



[Pkg]



[Soundbite]



Extra! Extra! Get an extra!



Extra editions are distributed in the heart of Tokyo. Japanese media go into emergency mode to cover North Korea’s artillery attack. Most regular broadcasts are canceled or halted to cover the incident.



[Soundbite]



(NHK Report): The government is considering the attack quite serious compared to previous clashes between the two Koreas.



China’s CCTV sent reporters to the South Korean port of Incheon 30 minutes after the attack. They made reports every hour thereafter.



[Soundbite]



(CCT Report (Korea Correspondent)): It’s now 2:40 p.m. Korean time and some 50 artillery shells were fired by North Koreans at Yeonpyeong Island near the inter-Korean border.



CNN and the BBC also broadcast clips of black smoke rising and covered the situation in the area. Global media say the attack was apparently made to strengthen the position of North Korea’s heir apparent Kim Jong-un. The Japanese daily Sankei Shimbun says the provocation was expected and probably sought to give Kim Jong-un a military achievement to stabilize his succession. Time magazine says the North’s unveiling of new uranium enrichment facilities and the attack are related to the succession process. German media blasted Pyongyang for raising tension in Northeast Asia. Reuters asked how China will respond to the attack. Global media are all fixated on the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula.



6. Island History



[Anchor Lead]

Yeonpyeong Island has always been rife with military tension because it’s located so close to North Korea. Here’s more on the island.



[Pkg]

Since the outbreak of the Korean War, Yeonpyeong Island has remained a place of military tension. The island is located just 1.6 kilometers from the Northern Limit Line, which separates the South from the North in the Yellow Sea. The island is even closer to the North than to the city of Incheon, which is located 122 kilometers from Yeonpyeong. The naval clashes between South and North Korea in 1999 and 2002 show the symbolic meaning of the island’s geographic location. Both clashes occurred after the North Korean patrol ships violated the Northern Limit Line.



The violent clashes left many casualties. Military tension in the area continues to escalate as North Korea still refuses to recognize the Northern Limit Line. But some 1,700 people living on the island continue to make a living there by catching crabs, oysters and clams. Oftentimes, they also have to deal with Chinese fishing vessels violating the national territory. But this time, the situation is different because the North attacked land as well.



[Soundbite]



(Yeonpyeong Islander): The shells landed on the entire island.



The North’s attacks on Yeonpyeong Island threw the entire island into turmoil.



7. Security Alert



[Anchor Lead]

Emergency evacuations have been ordered for residents on all five west coast islands. Here’s a look at the situation on Baengnyeong Island, which is near Yeonpyeong.



[Pkg]

A public announcement is broadcast all over Baengnyeong Island declaring an emergency situation. Everyone on the island is ordered to evacuate.



[Soundbite]



This is an actual emergency. Everyone must follow directions of the village head and evacuate.



An elderly woman carries a blanket to a shelter. Just one lantern is lit inside. The shelter is soon filled with residents.



[Soundbite]



It’s soon going to be full so come quick!



Most on the island have been closed earlier than usual.



[Soundbite]



(Baekryeong Island resident): The Cheonan incident seemed like yesterday. Residents are all scared with such things happening so frequently lately.



Residents were ordered to evacuate at 4 p.m. Tuesday. More than 5-thousand-500 people fled the five South Korean islands off the west coast including Baengnyeong, Daecheong and Socheong. The normally busy waters off Baengnyeong Island are largely devoid of fishing boats and vessels. Just a few Chinese ships remain. The South Korean Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Ministry has halted all shipping operations between Incheon and the five islands. Helicopter and light plane operations have also been banned over the west coast and metropolitan areas.



8. Stern Measures



[Anchor Lead]

Koreans were utterly shocked at yesterday’s news of the North Korean attack. The people are hoping the government will deal with the matter firmly yet discreetly, and are keeping a close watch on the situation. Here’s more.



[Pkg]

Passengers at a bus terminal are shocked by the news of artillery attacks by North Korea and stop on their way before a large TV screen.



[Soundbite]



My heart is throbbing. Why do we have to attack each other like this?



Subway passengers are shocked to hear two young soldiers, the same age as their son or grandson, have been killed.



[Soundbite]



My grandson just joined the army. I can’t help crying and worrying.



Many were worried about possible outbreak of war.



[Soundbite]



I hear even civilians were injured. I was shocked. It’s like a war situation.



Those who had expected the inter-Korean relationship that had grown tense after the Cheonan ship sinking to soften up through exchange in sports like in the Asian Games were also shocked by the news.



[Soundbite]



South and North Korean players had Just played side by side in the Asian Games like in women’s soccer. It’s sad that such a thing should happen at a time like this.



Many are urging for fast and strong measures against North Korea which is still in battle position. Internet and Twitter users are spreading breaking news fast and urging the government to deal with the matter quickly and carefully.



9. Talks Delayed



[Anchor Lead]

Inter-Korean Red Cross talks scheduled for Thursday have been postponed indefinitely in the wake of the attack. Staff from South Korean companies operating in the North’s Kaesong Industrial Complex are also banned from entering the North for one day.



[Pkg]

Inter-Korean Red Cross talks scheduled for Thursday have been put off indefinitely. The South Korean Unification Ministry says it’s inappropriate to hold the meeting in the wake of North Korea’s attack. Seoul also seeks to protect South Korean staff at the Kaesong industrial complex and Mount Kumgang in North Korea. South Korean staff has been banned from entering the North Wednesday. Seoul reduced the number of visitors to the complex in May following Pyongyang’s sinking of a South Korean naval vessel. But this is the first time for the South to implement a complete entry ban. The Unification Ministry says more limits on cross-border visits could come depending on the situation, so the entry ban could be extended. An emergency situation room will also conduct round-the-clock monitoring of developments. South Korean corporate representatives in the North say they’re calm but are closely watching the situation on Yeonpyeong Island.



[Soundbite]



(Kaesong Industrial District Management Committee Official): We’re watching the situation but there’re no particular moves. I don’t think it’s right for me to comment.



Seoul is considering referring the artillery attack to the U.N. Security Council.



10. Stocks Fall



[Anchor Lead]

Stock markets at home and abroad, including those in Europe and New York, took a deep dive on news of the North Korean attack on a South Korean island. But Seoul’s stocks moved off their low point starting this afternoon.



[Pkg]

U.S. stocks fell sharply. The DOW index bgan more than one percent lower and ended the day without recuperating the loss. The tech-savvy Nasdaq and the blue chip centered S&P 500 also plunged. Bourses started the day lower because of the Irish fiscal crisis and the tension spiked on the Korean Peninsula has escalated the drop. Depository receipts of South Korean firms trading on the New York Stock Exchange also suffered a steep fall. European stocks have also been shaken. Shares of major European states including the United Kingdom, Germany and France fell around two percent. The STOXX Europe 50 Index also posted the sharpest fall since August 11th. European stocks fell even more on news of the two Koreas’ exchange of fire. The price of gold has recorded the biggest gain in two weeks. The global economy is jolted by the North’s artillery attack on South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island.