S. Korea recalls fatal attack on island

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SEOUL, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- South Korea commemorated the second anniversary of North Korean shelling on a front line island that killed two Marines and two civilians.

The attacks on Yeonpyeong Island were the first on South Korean soil since the end of the Korean War in 1953. Military leaders took the occasion to practice a response should North Korea launch a similar attack again in the future, Yonhap News Agency said Friday.

"It was a violent act that directly attacked our territory, and reckless brutality that did not discriminate between soldiers and civilians," South Korean Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik said in a speech commemorating the anniversary.

Military leaders said defense drills will be held at several other front line islands to simulate a North Korean attack, but the Marine and Navy units will not be using live ammunition.