South Korea's defence minister stepped down Thursday in the wake of criticism that blamed the Seoul government for failing to adequately respond to a deadly North Korean artillery attack.
Four people died when parts of Yeonpyeong Island came under fire Tuesday, which prompted South Korea to scramble fighter jets and shoot back at North Korea with its howitzers.
Residents of the fishing community were forced to flee their homes and South Korean marines fought back as best they could with resources that one military official said are too limited to be effective.
Marine Lt. Col. Joo Jong-wha said the marines stationed on Yeonpyeong do not have enough artillery to respond to such attacks.
"In artillery, you're supposed to move on after firing to mask your location so they don't strike right back at you. But we have too few artillery," he said Thursday.
Two days after the attack, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak vowed to put more troops on Yeonpyeong, which is located only 11 kilometres from the shores of North Korea.
And he said that Seoul would change the rules of engagement for its soldiers so that it can better respond to future North Korean provocations.
Through spokesperson Hong Sang-pyo, the president indicated that South Korean citizens should not conclude that North Korea is unlikely to strike again.
"A provocation like this can recur any time," Hong quoted Lee as saying.
Lee also accepted the resignation of Kim Tae-young, the defence minister who had visited Yeonpyeong only hours before.
Also Thursday, reporters visited the parts of Yeonpyeong that came under attack, where broken glass and charred debris were still spilled on the streets two days later.
Restaurant owner Lee In-ku, 46, was among a group of locals trying to salvage belongings that survived the attack.
"It was a sea of fire," Lee said. "Many houses were burning and many people were just running around in confusion. It was real chaos."
Some civilians who were still fleeing Yeonpyeong on Thursday indicated that they plan to never return.
CTV's South Asia Bureau Chief Janis Mackey Frayer said there is a sense that the recent clash with North Korea will likely be repeated.
"Some are saying that they never want to go back that it was an extremely frightening event that happened," Frayer told CTV's Canada AM from the South Korean port city of Incheon on Thursday.
"This has been a ramping up over a number of months. It's never been the safest place to live, being so close to that disputed maritime border. But there are many South Koreans who are wondering not if North Korea is going to strike again, but when."
With files from The Associated Press
