Pyongyang’s highest authorities; firing inland would have been impossible without the will of Kim Jong-Il." Robert Gates's account of incident In 2014, Robert Gates, who was United States Secretary of Defense during the incident, stated in his memoirs that the South Korean government planned a "disproportionately aggressive" military retaliation, "involving both aircraft and artillery". Gates said he, US President Barack Obama and secretary of state Hillary Clinton had numerous telephone calls with South Korean counterparts to deescalate tensions. The South Korean government declined to confirm Gates's version of events. International reactions Images of the shelling were widely disseminated by media and across the internet. The sight of burning houses and plumes of smoke prompted international reaction. : The Foreign Ministry issued a statement in which the government expressed its "strong condemnation of the incident". : Prime Minister Julia Gillard condemned the attack and expressed concern over North Korean military provocations. : Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Steven Vanackere "roundly condemns the attack by North Korea," and "subscribes to the statement made by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton regarding the incident". Belgium furthermore "salutes the call for restraint by South Korean President Lee Myung Bak." : President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated that his current position was to "condemn any attempt of attack from North Korea to South Korea". According to him, "Brazil is against any attack to another country. We will not allow, in any circumstance, any attempt to violate another country's sovereignty". : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack and urged both North and South Korea to refrain from any further military provocations. : Prime Minister Stephen Harper "strongly condemned" the attack, reaffirmed Canada's support for South Korea and urged North Korea to abide by the armistice and to not commit "further reckless and belligerent actions." Minister for Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon stated that he was "deeply concerned" about the events in Korea and that officials in his department were monitoring the situation. Documents indicate that the Canadian military may initiate strategic involvement in the event of a new conflict on the Korean Peninsula. : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack and called on North Korea to set aside its "bellicose attitude". : The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Chinese government urged both sides "to do things conducive to peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula," but did not explicitly condemn