North Korea fires on South Korea - 2 dead for now

[Ivysaur]

In an unexpected turn of events, Kim Jong Il wants to grant his son and future dictator a war so the country will accept him as a leader in those "difficult moments" without questioning it too much:

https://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2010/nov/23/north-korea-fires-south-korea

North Korea has fired dozens of rounds of artillery onto a populated South Korean island near their disputed western border, military officials have said.

The shells have set several buildings on fire, reportedly injuring two people, and have prompted South Korea to return fire and scramble fighter jets.

Yonhap News, the South Korean publicly funded news agency, is reporting that one South Korean soldier has been killed in the shelling. Yonhap quotes an unnamed official. We'll hopefully have more information soon.

The skirmish came amid tension over North Korea's claim that it has a new uranium enrichment facility and just over a month after North Korean leader Kim Jong Il unveiled his youngest son Kim Jong Un as his heir apparent.

South Korea's YTN television has said two people were injured, several houses were on fire and shells are still falling on Yeonpyeong island. The station is broadcasting pictures of thick columns of black smoke rising from the island.

Yonhap news agency, quoting a military official, says four soldiers have been wounded. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has ordered officials to make sure that the firing wouldn't escalate, according to Yonhap, quoting a presidential official. YTN said between 1,200 and 1,300 people live on the island.

A South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official said dozens of rounds of artillery landed on the island and in the sea. The official says South Korea fired back. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of JCS rules, said South Korea's military is on alert. He had no other details, and could not confirm the reports of casualties.

Tensions between the two Koreas also remain tense after the sinking in March of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan, in which 46 sailors died. Seoul has blamed a North Korean torpedo, while Pyongyang has denied any responsibility.

The countries' western maritime boundary has long been a flash point between the two Koreas. The North does not recognize the border that was unilaterally drawn by the United Nations at the close of the 1950-53 Korean War.

North and South Korea have fought three bloody skirmishes near the maritime border in recent years, most recently in November 2009.

 

[I Laugh at your Misfortune!]

Well, that's...that's not good.

I have a horrible feeling that this isn't just going to die down.

 

[LadySurreal]

I'd like to see a Hippie's reaction protesting the Vietnam war when it is similar to the Korean war, and will soon end like the Vietnam war if those MTV Punks and dumb****s continue to bash everything military because bands like Anti-Flag and Rise Against failed Government class so bad, the kids look at them as bloody rebels who fight against the mainstream yet the mainstream is what made those sad losers famous in the first place.

 

[Morkula]

I'd like to see a Hippie's reaction protesting the Vietnam war when it is similar to the Korean war, and will soon end like the Vietnam war if those MTV Punks and dumb****s continue to bash everything military because bands like Anti-Flag and Rise Against failed Government class so bad, the kids look at them as bloody rebels who fight against the mainstream yet the mainstream is what made those sad losers famous in the first place.

The hell? I can't understand a word that you just said.

Anyway, Kim Jong-il is mostly just wanting attention, I think. He does this every so often to remind people he's still around. If war does break out though, North Korea won't survive it - South Korea is a lot more stable country, plus they have US troops already in the country. Not even China is willing to stand behind North Korea in the event of a war. North Korea would fall pretty quickly, but it'd come at the expense of Seoul - where a good majority of the population live in South Korea. There's so much artillery already pointed right at Seoul, that it'd be leveled within a couple hours if war broke out. I think that SK and its allies are going to do everything in their power to keep that from happening.

 

[Yuukihime]

I think why the situation is so delicate is because of NK nuclear program, they don't want to provoke a situation where NK would use it's NK weapons. Even if it's an empty threat, they don't won't to run the risk that NK would use it's nuclear program against South Korea.

(Just an assumption though)

NK may do such things for attention but killing people isn't really a good way to get attention =S And as Morkula said, if the two went to war North Korea would fall pretty quickly.

 

[txteclipse]

Seriously, North Korea is like a real-life version of an online troll. They keep pushing the boundaries and nobody does anything about it but slap their wrist and say "no no."

They need to be offered an ultimatum. "Take any more military actions, and we will bomb the snot out of you."

 

[Rich Boy Rob]

I'd like to see a Hippie's reaction protesting the Vietnam war when it is similar to the Korean war, and will soon end like the Vietnam war if those MTV Punks and dumb****s continue to bash everything military because bands like Anti-Flag and Rise Against failed Government class so bad, the kids look at them as bloody rebels who fight against the mainstream yet the mainstream is what made those sad losers famous in the first place.

Erm... what now?


Anyway, this is definitely not good. According to another article on there, a spokesman for North Korea said that this was in response to sea drills in the area and that if they do not stop nuclear war could follow at any point. Oh dear. This is very not good.

 

[Pseudo]

Anyway, Kim Jong-il is mostly just wanting attention, I think. He does this every so often to remind people he's still around. If war does break out though, North Korea won't survive it - South Korea is a lot more stable country, plus they have US troops already in the country. Not even China is willing to stand behind North Korea in the event of a war. North Korea would fall pretty quickly, but it'd come at the expense of Seoul - where a good majority of the population live in South Korea. There's so much artillery already pointed right at Seoul, that it'd be leveled within a couple hours if war broke out. I think that SK and its allies are going to do everything in their power to keep that from happening.

Agreed, kind of. He always wanted attention. Too short to be noticed. SK is indeed a more stable and more capable country between the both, but if the NK's uranium enrichment is what the US and whoever "claim" to be, in other words, development of nuclear warheads, I'm pretty sure NK is dying to use one, and SK is just the perfect 'test subject'. Or not.

Now, SK is threatening to retaliate, which I highly doubt they will. This thing isn't going to end anytime soon as it seems. China,maybe, is the solution here? Or simply let them kill each other and may the "best" win.

 

[ANARCHit3cht]

Tsktsk, North Korea what will we do with you...

North Korea is a bit, uhm, out of its league. Km Jong-il wants to bring attention to his country and feel that he is threatening. They wouldn't stand a chance if a war were to break out. Sadly, South Korea can't really afford to go into that war due to what they would lose.

As for North Korea, they should know when to stop. That is, when their threats are laughed at, they obviously aren't very threatening. China is their biggest ally, and if one of your only friends isn't even on board with you, you have some issues. I think, that after a while, this will die down, unless it is pushed for war. The only way that North Korea will stop these games is if they are gone.

Or simply let them kill each other and may the "best" win.

This. I think that countries should not get involved in business that really isn't theirs. Especially the US.

 

[Ivysaur]

This. I think that countries should not get involved in business that really isn't theirs. Especially the US.

So it's okay to leave a crazy pseudo-communist dictatorship with an incredibly opressed population who have never heard of human rights or anything similar to bomb the crap out of one of your allies, a democratic republic, member of the OECD and the G-20, creating a crazy wave of unstability in the Asian zone (which is just what we need to get out of the world crisis).

Nowadays, every country is involved in everything. Ireland just asked the EU for some emergency money to pay their national debt, causing the Euro to drop value, causing the Dollar to rise in turn, increasing the international value of the US's products, reducing their exports, which in the end damages the US's economy.

Now think what a nuclear war could cause in the world if they are not stopped before.

 

[Marс]

SK won't do a thing; just like the sinking of the Cheonan. So, if SK was to really "retaliate" and please for God's sake do, punish them hard.

 

[Netto Azure]

With the Chinese depending upon the US recovering for the World economy to continue grinding...I doubt things will deteriorate to full scale war.

Big Bro China will hold the leash on N.Korea while Big Bro America will hold the leash on S.Korea. 8)

 

[Agent Clank]

Well, that's...that's not good.

I have a horrible feeling that this isn't just going to die down.

I have the same feeling, man...
Its just plain stupid how Kim Jong Il is trying to start a useless war.

 

[Alice]

Well, this is certainly a bad sign... although, these small attacks have happened before. So, maybe nothing will come of it.

 

[Legobricks]

The hell? I can't understand a word that you just said.

I think LadySurreal was going over part of the likely societal impact a 'second Korean War' would have. It'll become popular again to hold anti-war protests...

 

[twocows]

We can't abandon South Korea. It would be like abandoning ourselves. This will probably be resolved without too many problems, but there's a chance it could blow up into something far worse.

 

[Shanghai Alice]

I think why the situation is so delicate is because of NK nuclear program, they don't want to provoke a situation where NK would use it's NK weapons. Even if it's an empty threat, they don't won't to run the risk that NK would use it's nuclear program against South Korea.

There's the possibility that NK is deliberately provoking SK. Just like the missile tests/attacks earlier, NK wants to show the world that they, too, are a nuclear force to be reckoned with.

If SK decides to retaliate, KJI will nuke SK, and call it justified.

Oshi'ite.

Anyway, this is definitely not good. According to another article on there, a spokesman for North Korea said that this was in response to sea drills in the area and that if they do not stop nuclear war could follow at any point. Oh dear. This is very not good.

*Agrees with this*

Attention-grabbing and stick-shaking.

North Korea is a bit, uhm, out of its league. Km Jong-il wants to bring attention to his country and feel that he is threatening. They wouldn't stand a chance if a war were to break out. Sadly, South Korea can't really afford to go into that war due to what they would lose.

As for North Korea, they should know when to stop. That is, when their threats are laughed at, they obviously aren't very threatening. China is their biggest ally, and if one of your only friends isn't even on board with you, you have some issues. I think, that after a while, this will die down, unless it is pushed for war. The only way that North Korea will stop these games is if they are gone.

It's the same with the Balkans and the Middle East, the border tensions are.

This won't "go away." They don't have a monthly "Let's tick off the world" meeting, this is their life, and their entire focus.

Mildly worrisome, considering the fact that the world was plunged into two world wars, and a nearly-nuclear war over the fact that a man was shot in Sarajevo almost a century ago.

This. I think that countries should not get involved in business that really isn't theirs. Especially the US.

Were this 1914, I'd agree with you. However, nuclear threats affect the whole world, even if NK's nukes are powered by old Mk II engines, and can only fly about twenty seconds before imploding.


Simply put...

It's not the fact that it's NK, it's the fact that it's nuclear. World wars have been started over less.

 

[Constantinople]

This. I think that countries should not get involved in business that really isn't theirs. Especially the US.

Why is it not our business? South Korea is our ally. It doesn't make any sense to me when people say things like "it isn't our business" or "it's not our war" because if we didn't want to defend a country we shouldn't have formed a political alliance with them. Now, it would be perfectly reasonable to argue that we shouldn't have formed so many alliances with nations that have a tendency to be in conflict with another country. But that's ex post facto now and we'll just have to wait to see if South Korea declares war on North Korea. (I don't see it happening, but who knows?)

 

[Eliminator Jr.]

Why is it not our business? South Korea is our ally. It doesn't make any sense to me when people say things like "it isn't our business" or "it's not our war" because if we didn't want to defend a country we shouldn't have formed a political alliance with them. Now, it would be perfectly reasonable to argue that we shouldn't have formed so many alliances with nations that have a tendency to be in conflict with another country. But that's ex post facto now and we'll just have to wait to see if South Korea declares war on North Korea. (I don't see it happening, but who knows?)

I may be wrong as I'm just responding from general knowledge and not from any source here, but from what I know North Korea and South Korea never formally ended the Korean War of 1950-3. They agreed to a ceasefire but technically they're still in a war.

 

[Constantinople]

I may be wrong as I'm just responding from general knowledge and not from any source here, but from what I know North Korea and South Korea never formally ended the Korean War of 1950-3. They agreed to a ceasefire but technically they're still in a war.

That's a technicality though. Obviously, the US wouldn't need to get involved unless war was actually resumed.