Ceremony Marks 2002 Inter-Korean Naval Victory

The Navy held a ceremony yesterday in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the 2002 inter-Korean naval clash near Yeonpyeong Island on the Yellow Sea.

At the Navy’s Second Fleet Command, around 1,500 people attended the event including Prime Minister Han Seung-soo, Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee, the bereaved families of those killed in the naval battle, and citizens.

Han said in a speech, “The heroes who fought to protect our sea are still alive in our hearts. The Republic of Korea will remember their names forever. The second battle of Yeonpyeong, provoked by a sudden North Korean attack, ended in victory."

"After the battle, we just let six heroes go with no official ceremony to honor their sacrifices. But the Lee Myung-bak government has changed the name of the clash into the Second Yeonpyeong Naval Battle and considers it as a victory for the Navy.”

The battle broke out around 10 a.m. on June 29, 2002, when two North Korean patrol boats crossed the Northern Limit Line and attacked a South Korean high-speed patrol boat.

ysh1005@donga.com