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Post-attack S. Korean defense in upheaval

SEOUL, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- South Korea's defense minister resigned Thursday as increased defense measures were announced two days after a North Korean attack, the government said.

Defense Minister Kim Tae-young submitted a letter of resignation to President Lee Myung-bak amid criticism the South Korean military was unprepared for the artillery attack on its base on the island of Yeonpyeong, officials told the Yonhap news agency.

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The South Korean island base was established as a deterrent to amphibious attacks by its northern neighbor, but wasn't geared to artillery attacks, The New York Times said.

At a security meeting at the president's Blue House, new defense strategies were discussed, including doubling South Korea's howitzers and other artillery on Yeonpyeong and four other islands in disputed waters near the border, the reports said.

The artillery barrage killed two civilians and two South Korean marines and injured dozens of others.

Officials in Seoul said they were applying diplomatic pressure on China, an ally of the North, to de-escalate tensions, but Beijing has been mostly muted on the incident and a planned visit by its foreign minister to Seoul Thursday was canceled, the Times said.

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U.S. Army Gen. Walter Sharp, who heads the United Nations Command in South Korea, Thursday called for talks with North Korean military leaders, but the request was denied, the report said.

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