Two Koreas trade border fire as Kim fails to appear key political event

SEOUL, Oct 10 (agencies): The two Koreas traded heavy machine-gun fire across their border Friday, as "missing" North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's failed to attend a key political event, fuelling further speculation about his physical health and political future.
No casualties were reported in the exchange of fire which South Korea said was triggered by the North Korean military trying to shoot down balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang leaflets that were launched by activists in the South around 2:00pm (0500 GMT).
Some rounds fell on the South side which then responded with high-calibre machine gun fire "towards the North's guard posts," a defence ministry spokesman said. There was a further exchange of fire 10 minutes later, he added.
Local residents of Hwangsan-ri township in the border area of Yeoncheon were evacuated to shelters as a precaution.
While naval confrontations along the Koreas' disputed maritime border occur from time to time, any military engagement across the heavily-militarised land frontier is extremely rare.
In 2010, the North shelled the South Korean border island of Yeonpyeong, killing four people and briefly sparking fears of a full scale conflict.
The balloon launch from Hapsuri was one of several planned to coincide with North Korea's celebration of the 69th anniversary of its ruling Workers' Party.
Seoul allowed the exercises to go ahead, despite prior warnings from Pyongyang of "catastrophic" consequences.
Some of the balloons carried messages denouncing North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, who has not been seen in public for more than a month.
For the first time in three years, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un wasn't on a list of dignitaries at a celebration of the anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party. The apparent no-show will add to mounting speculation that something is amiss with the authoritarian leader, who hasn't been seen publicly in more than a month.
 An official state media dispatch listed senior government, military and party officials who paid their respects at an event marking the party's 69th anniversary, but not Kim. It said a flower basket with Kim's name on it was placed before statues of his father and grandfather, both of whom also ruled North Korea. State media earlier said that the might of the party "is growing stronger under the seasoned guidance of Marshal Kim Jong Un."