South Korea vows to defend territory

South Korea’s president compared a deadly North Korean artillery barrage to the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, saying today that the South must strengthen defences and cannot let the North “covet even an inch of our territory”.

Lee Myung-bak, speaking to the country in a New Year’s speech, said the November 23 shelling of Yeonpyeong Island was a transformational event for South Korea.