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South Korea returned fire and scrambled fighter jets after North Korea bombarded a South Korean island near their disputed western border with artillery.

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South Korean tourists and residents watch as smoke rises from South Korea's Yeonpyeong island near the border with North Korea.

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Houses burn on South Korea's Yeonpyeong island after North Korea fired dozens of rounds of artillery onto the island near their disputed western border.

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South Korean residents of Yeonpyeong island arrive at a port in Incheon, west of Seoul, on November 23, 2010 after North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto the South Korean island. North Korea fired a deadly barrage of artillery shells onto a South Korean island on November 23, 2010 in one of the most serious border incidents since the 1950-53 war, inciting global condemnation.WON DAE-YEON

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Firefighters and fire trucks board a ship to go to Yeonpyeong island near the border with North Korea on November 23, 2010 in Incheon, South Korea. Dozens of artillery shells fired by North Korea hit the South Korean Island of Yeonpyeong reportedly causing injuries and prompting return fire from South Korean forces. The incident comes amid tensions over North Korea's nuclear program and the announcement of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's youngest son as his successorChung Sung-Jun

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South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, centre, meets with his security cabinet at the presidential Blue House in Seoul.

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South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak (C) visits the control centre of South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Defence Ministry in Seoul on November 23, 2010. North Korea fired a deadly barrage of artillery shells onto a South Korean island on November 23, 2010 in one of the most serious border incidents since the 1950-53 war, inciting global condemnationDONG-A ILBO

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Ferry passengers from South Korea's Yeonpyeong island arrive at Incheon, Sourth Korea. The sign at left reads: Direct route for Yeonpyeong Island.

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People read extra edition newspapers in downtown Seoul after North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto the South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong.

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Lee Hong-ki, military operation division chief of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, speaks to the media during a briefing at the Defence Ministry in Seoul.

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South Korean soldiers wait in line at a bus terminal in Seoul to get tickets for the return to their military base.

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A TV screen shows a map of South Korea's Yeonpyeong island during a news program, at an electronics store in Tokyo, Japan.

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Smoke billows from artillery strikes on South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island near the maritime border with North Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010.

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