Where Is Yeonpyeong Island?

A sleepy fishing community on an island off the Korean peninsula's west coast today, Finds Itself at the heart of one of the most Serious clashes Between North and South Korea since Unresolved Their war in the 1950s.

Yeonpyeong Island is one of the South Korean Territories Closest to the Communist North, nestled amid the Baekryeong Islands in the Yellow Sea about eight miles from the North Korean coast. Altogether the islands are home Thurs 5.570 Citizens. Yeonpyeong alone has just 1.780 residents, in Addition Thurs about 1.000 soldiers and Marines stationed there, According to the JoongAng Daily newspaper. The island spans just Three square miles.

When artillery shells raining down on Began Yeonpyeong's tiny streets today, all of the island's civilians evacuated into an air-raid shelter, though at Least Three of Them before They were nudged Injured safety of REACH, the paper said. Several buildings were also Life That Damaged from fires broke out from the shelling.

"There were fires everywhere and it was chaotic," resident Shin Sung-hee Told the BBC. They said they was at work at the time of the attack and phoned his wife at home to see if she was OK.

"I just heard" Darling, "and the phone was disconnected," they said. "After about 10 minutes, the announcement was made saying That it was for real and telling the residents Thurs Evacuate to the shelter. I'm guessing my car and Went Back Home. When I got there, my wife was standing outside and the house was Already Destroyed. "

Some locals have started fleeing the island in Their tiny fishing boats, The New York Times reported.

Those WHO stayed on the island described Their Confusion Because of a previous military announcement Practice Drills That Would Be Taking Place This Week.

"I was lying down and watching television, and I heard a bang, bang, bang sound," Another resident, Lee Choon-ok, Told the BBC. "At first I thought the South Korean military was Carrying out a very heavy artillery exercise since it HAD EARLIER Already Announced That it Would carry out a military exercise this week. When The Bomb Went off near my house and" when my house was Damaged, then That I realized it was North Korea fired That had occurred. I thought I would die if I stepped out of the house, so I stayed still. "

Yeonpyeong lies about two miles from the Northern Limit Line, an invisible and disputed sea boundary Between North and South Korea, M Naval skirmishes have broken out in the past.

But more than just for Violence, Yeonpyeong Island is renowned for ITS Throughout Korea Kumouuri, a spiced crab dish that's a local culinary specialty.