South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young resigned

South Korean defense minister steps down

Resignation comes amid criticism over response to North Korean artillery attack

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young resigned Thursday in the wake of North Korea’s artillery attack on an island at the centre of a dispute between the two countries. Critics have lambasted the South Korean administration for not being prepared for the attack and for responding too slowly. Meanwhile, South Korea is sending in more troops to the island. North Korea’s attack was the first on civilian-inhabited land, and has led some to fear that war is imminent between the two neighbours.