2010 Yeonpyeong bombardment

Not to be confused with Battle of Yeonpyeong.

Bombardment of Yeonpyeong
Part of the Korean conflict

Yeonpyeong Island under North Korean artillery attack
Date23 November 2010
Location
Yeonpyeong Island, Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea
Result Small number of fatalities and wounded suffered by the Republic of Korea (ROK); ROK civilian evacuation of Yeonpyeong.[1] Tensions increased between the two countries.
Belligerents
North Korea South Korea
Commanders and leaders
Kim Jong-il
Kim Jong-un
Ri Yong-ho
Col. Kim Kyong Su		 Lee Myung-bak
Kim Tae-young
Strength
One battalion BM-21
Five MiG-23		 Six K9 Thunder SPGs
Four F-15K
Four KF-16
Casualties and losses
North Korean claim:
None
South Korean claim:
5–10 killed and 20–30 wounded (presumed)		 2 soldiers killed
19 soldiers wounded
2 civilians killed
3 civilians wounded
Two K9 self-propelled guns damaged

The Bombardment of Yeonpyeong (Korean: 연평도 포격전) was an artillery engagement between the North Korean military and South Korean forces stationed on Yeonpyeong Island on 23 November 2010.[2] Following a South Korean artillery exercise in disputed waters near the island, North Korean forces fired around 170 artillery shells and rockets at Yeonpyeong Island, hitting both military and civilian targets.[3][4][5]

Shelling caused widespread damage on Yeonpyeong. South Korea retaliated by shelling North Korean gun positions. In total, between four and 20 people (military personnel and civilians) were killed on both sides and approximately 40–55 people were wounded.

The North Koreans subsequently stated that they had fired in response to South Korean artillery firing into North Korean territorial waters.[6]

The incident caused an escalation of tension on the Korean Peninsula and prompted widespread international condemnation of the North's actions. The United Nations declared it to be one of the most serious incidents since the end of the Korean War,[7] and former US ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson said tensions had escalated to become "the most serious crisis on the Korean peninsula since the 1953 armistice, which ended the Korean War".[8]

  1. ^ "China calls for emergency talks amid Korea crisis". BBC News. 28 November 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  2. ^ "Report: N. Korea fires on S. Korea, injuring at least 17". CNN. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 23 November 2010.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sergey was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ N.K. artillery strikes S. Korean island Archived 20 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine 2010-11-23. The Korea Herald
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference nyt-20101123 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "KPA Supreme Command Issues Communique". Korean Central News Agency. 23 November 2010. Archived from the original on 27 November 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  7. ^ "Tensions high as North, South Korea trade shelling". Dawn. 24 November 2010. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
  8. ^ "Richardson presents proposals to North Korea aimed at easing crisis". CNN. 18 December 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2010.