North Korea fired some 200 artillery shells near a South Korean border island off the west coast of the peninsula, turning up pressure on Seoul after leader Kim Jong Un said it was impossible to unify with his neighbor.<\/p>\n
The shells were fired Friday to the north of Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea\u2019s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message sent to reporters. People on Yeonpyeong were told to evacuate to shelters, a county official said by telephone.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no damage to our people or military as a result, and the point where they hit the water is the northern area of the NLL,\u201d the JCS said, referring to the Northern Limit Line. The boundary was drawn unilaterally by U.S.-led forces after the Korean War, and waters around the area have been the site of clashes, including a 2010 incident in which South Korea claimed North Korea torpedoed one of its warships south of the line, killing 46 sailors. <\/p>\n
In response to North Korea\u2019s actions, South Korea carried out a military drill from 3 p.m. near the western sea border, according to a statement from the Defense Ministry.<\/p>\n
South Korea respond strongly and in kind in accordance with the policies the government has maintained against North Korea\u2019s provocations, Defense Minister Shin Wonsik said in the statement. <\/p>\n
South Korea lifted the evacuation order for residents on Yeonpyeong island at about 3:40 p.m., according to an official from the district office.<\/p>\n
The firing came after the U.S. and South Korea completed their first joint military drill from Pocheon, north of the capital of Seoul. It went for a week from Dec. 29, aimed at strengthening the alliance\u2019s operational capabilities, South Korea\u2019s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.<\/p>\n
In November 2010, the island of about 2,000 inhabitants \u2014 including hundreds of military personnel \u2014 suffered the first attack on South Korean soil since the end of the Korean War. At the time, North Korea shelled targets for more than an hour, killing two civilians and two marines. The flurry damaged almost 300 structures and set wooded areas ablaze.<\/p>\n
In a policy-setting meeting of top party officials that ended last week, Kim said North Korea should \u201cno longer make the mistake\u201d of considering South Korea as a counterpart for reunification because Seoul has declared Pyongyang a \u201cmain enemy,\u201d the state\u2019s official Korean Central News Agency reported. <\/p>\n
Defense-related stocks gained in Seoul trade. Huneed Technologies, a maker of military communications gear, advanced 4%, and armored vehicle maker Firstec Co. rose 1.5% on Friday.<\/p>\n
\u2014With assistance from Shinhye Kang and Yoolim Lee.<\/p>\n
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