Yeonpyeong Island or Yeonpyeongdo (Korean: 연평도 pronounced [jʌnpçʌŋdo]) is a group of South Korean islands in the Yellow Sea, located about 80 km (50 mi) west of Incheon and 12 km (7.5 mi) south of the coast of Hwanghae Province, North Korea.

[1] The island group constitutes Yeonpyeong-myeon, a subdivision of Ongjin County, Incheon, South Korea.

[2] Yeonpyeong lies near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) and is only 12 km (7.5 mi) from the North Korean coastline.

[6] North Korea subsequently respected the UN-acknowledged western maritime border for many years until around the mid-1990s.

The claim, nonetheless, is not accepted internationally, because: On 23 November, North Korean artillery shelled Yeonpyeong with dozens of rounds at Yeonpyeong-ri and the surrounding area.

[9] The shelling damaged dozens of houses as well as Southern military infrastructure and set buildings on fire.

[14] Thick columns of black smoke rising from the island were the primary proof that the attack had occurred.