Korea breakout

[Yardi]

Sorry, couldn't find anything on it here but.

North Korea artillery fire hits South island

(Reuters) - North Korea on Tuesday fired dozens of artillery shells at a South Korean island, setting buildings on fire and prompting a return of fire by the South, Seoul's military and media reports said.

A witness said residents of the island of Yeonpyeong, off the west coast of the peninsula near a disputed maritime border, had been evacuated.

Yonhap news agency said four South Korean soldiers had been wounded in the shelling, the biggest attack in years.

YTN television quoted a witness as saying 60 to 70 houses were on fire after the shelling and TV footage showed plumes of smoke coming from the island. It said a South Korean fighter jet had been deployed to the west coast after the shelling.

"Houses and mountains are on fire and people are evacuating. You can't see very well because of plumes of smoke," a witness on the island told YTN.

"People are frightened to death and shelling continues as we speak," the witness said.

News of the exchange of fire sent the won tumbling in offshore markets with the 1-month won down in NDF trading.

The impact was felt internationally, with U.S. 10-year Treasury futures rising and the Japanese yen falling.

South Korea's military confirmed the exchange of firing, without providing more details.

The attack comes just as a U.S. envoy is traveling to the region after revelations that the North is moving ahead with uranium enrichment, a possible second path to manufacture material for atomic weapons.

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AM0YS20101123

Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 6:43 AM GMT - South Korean fighter jet deployed to west coast island after shelling
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 6:45 AM GMT - at least 200 shells hit island
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 6:48 AM GMT - S.Korea top presidential aides meeting in underground bunker at presidential compound
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 6:53 AM GMT - South Korea warns stronger response if North continues provocations
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 7:10 AM GMT - S.Korea's military sends message to north to stop artillery fire
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 7:12 AM GMT - Witness says residents fleeing S.Korean island by fishing boats
Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 7:53 AM GMT - South Korean military confirms one South Korean marine killed, three in serious condition

Update 14:28 GMT:

ALERT: We have obtained CCTV video footage showing rockets landing in South Korea. We will be publishing shortly.

Video

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZZLH55rvJU&feature=player_embedded#![/youtube]

ALERT: US Pentagon - "Too soon" to tell if North Korea's actions warrant additional US troop support in South Korea.

[EWJ]

More sabre rattling by NK.. Maybe Sk will retaliate...maybe not..

[cerb]

seriously hope this doesnt deteriorate

[*sketch]

I do hope the two of them can stay calm.
If they can't I hope our own government sees sense and steers clear of any involvement, especially militarily, should it come to that.

[{TPUK}Advocate]

Wonder if my TA status means I get an all expenses paid trip to Korea... at least then I could train with some masters, especially if we take Pyongyang...

[EWJ]

Wonder if my TA status means I get an all expenses paid trip to Korea... at least then I could train with some masters, especially if we get pwned by Pyongyang...

fixed that for you there..

[Unspecified]

Worrying. Its not unusual for NK to do this kind of thing, but seems to be an escalation on the usual level!

I don't think SK would want all out war with them, but sooner or later NK are going to push it that bit too far and it will snowball

[CraKinShOt]

Well getting past the Mainstream Media you get closer to the truth. The truth is the US and South were doing military exercises and fired shells in the territorial waters of North Korea. The north retaliated...

There is always more to stories, the north wasn't completely unjustified in this incident.

[Primal ShadoW]

Well getting past the Mainstream Media you get closer to the truth. The truth is the US and South were doing military exercises and fired shells in the territorial waters of North Korea. The north retaliated...

So really it's the US and SK who provoked NK to open fire? Sources on this?

This whole situation looks like another Cold War to me. US doesn't have the economy to involve themselves in yet another war. If they do, I'm sure the US economy collapses. The only thing currently keeping them running is China. If it collapses they'll either recieve support from EU, who also is in a pretty bad economic state atm, or the global financial system breaks down and we'd have to come up with alternatives to capitalism. I hope it breaks down. I'm only in my second year of my economics degree, but some of the economic ways of thinking, utilised by way too many governments around the world, are scary.

[{TPUK}Advocate]

China have already said they would back N Korea in a war so if America goes to war with N Korea we are in for some hardcore WWIII stuff.

[Yardi]

The US president has pledged to stand shoulder to shoulder with South Korea.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11827080

Troops were already station in SK, but now that they are moving the aircraft carrier in seems like it will be kicking off.

I doubt us the UK will get dragged into it, as SK have said that they will just carpet bomb NK if NK even fire another shell across the border.

Its all getting serious.

Thanks whom ever moved it, I thought it got deleted. D: me was sadface.

[Primal ShadoW]

China have already said they would back N Korea in a war so if America goes to war with N Korea we are in for some hardcore WWIII stuff.

This is where all the experience from MW2, BFBC2 and Black Ops will pay off for the millions of teens around the world who play daily. North Korea doesn't stand a chance.

/jk

I can't see how conversation and discussion among leaders in countries can be so incredibly hard! Dialogue is key. Conflict resolution is not done with the means of guns and cannons, but with dialogue and compromises. Tell a child who's been bullied that the bully has a reason for doing what he does - there's a motive behind it all, be it insecurity, jealousy or envy, and he understands it. World leaders apparently don't. I notice how pissed I get just by typing this Stupidity is dangerous.

[Deadbolt]

Can't see anything coming of this. The US wouldn't have time to take out the NK artillery before Seoul is destroyed, and if NK attack again, the US will act, seeing as they agreed to aid the defense of SK. I still don't understand why China have been siding with NK all this time.

[Primal ShadoW]

I still don't understand why China have been siding with NK all this time.

http://www.cfr.org/publication/11097/ch ... nship.html

From that page:

China is North Korea's most important ally; biggest trading partner; and main source of food, arms, and fuel. China has helped sustain Kim Jong-Il's regime and opposed harsh international economic sanctions in the hope of avoiding regime collapse and an uncontrolled influx of refugees across its eight-hundred-mile border with North Korea.

[CraKinShOt]

AP Story

The skirmish began when North Korea warned the South to halt military drills near their sea border, according to South Korean officials. When Seoul refused and began firing artillery into disputed waters — but away from the North Korean shore — the North retaliated by shelling the small island of Yeonpyeong, which houses South Korean military installations and a small civilian population.

From my understanding, after the War the US put South Koreans who had been friendly to Japan in power, the south then began killing Koreans accused of being communists. The Communists then polarized in the north with help from China/Russia, while the US backed government polarized to the south. Yet another example of US meddling.

[EWJ]

60 years ago.

[FunkySpider]

AP Story

The skirmish began when North Korea warned the South to halt military drills near their sea border, according to South Korean officials. When Seoul refused and began firing artillery into disputed waters — but away from the North Korean shore — the North retaliated by shelling the small island of Yeonpyeong, which houses South Korean military installations and a small civilian population.

From my understanding, after the War the US put South Koreans who had been friendly to Japan in power, the south then began killing Koreans accused of being communists. The Communists then polarized in the north with help from China/Russia, while the US backed government polarized to the south. Yet another example of US meddling.

...and russian and chinese meddling as well.

[Wizav]

Doublt the yanks will get involved, No oil in korea, NK's allie Iran has lots of it though

[UK_sniper]

i heard on the news that NK has the ability to launch over 250,000 artillary shells per hour. couple that with a modern airforce, massive land army and genuine wmd's , the US would be stupid to get involved. though they have little choice with the agreements they've signed.

If china/russia/japan get involved could see a sort pacific war.

doubt it would spread to europe now though. most of the countries here havent got 2 cents to rub together let alone fund some sort of military campaign...

[Yardi]

Estimates of course, but it still gives us something to work with.