North and South Korea exchange artillery fire

North and South Korea exchange artillery fire

news.sky.com

South Korea has reportedly returned fire after North Korea shot several artillery rounds into disputed waters bordering the two countries.

South Korea's presidential Blue House said both sides were firing into the air and there were no casualties, according to Yonhap news agency.

(visit the link for the full news article)


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news.bbc.co.uk

Seems like tension is at breaking point again. How long are these games going to keep playing out?

This is literally days after some of the local waters became no-go zones for for boats and ships.

Wasn't it last year that some sailors got killed in gun battle? Now only this... Let's just hope it's nothing more than tension and nothing worse.



news.sky.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

In one word?

"Posturing"

It's a nothing IMO.

RoK and DPRK incidents are far from unheard of, I remember quite a few in the 90's, but it's been a while since something made it to the media here in the states. We have recent saber rattling from S Korea mixed with the constant belligerence of N Korea. As usual the North is acting in it's normal schizophrenic way talking peace on one hand while flipping the bird with the other. I wonder sometimes if something on the Korean border could ever spiral out of control into something rather nasty.

I'm guessing this is simply more of the same stuff that's been going on their for over half a century now.

Such trades of gunfire have happened on quite a few occasions although given recent events as context this seems more dangerous. DRKP strikes me as a far greater threat to the States and the nations allied with it than Iran, and yet the sabre rattling focuses on Iran where there is a vibrant popular movement growing for change. These sorts of things do not add up leaving me to imagine causes and reasoning and if I am not careful I will be very cross before my first cuppa.

Here's an interesting piece on N.Korea.

www.nytimes.com...

How are North Koreans taught to think about us? Well, here’s one indication. Children learn a ditty called “Shoot the Yankee Bastards” in music class. One verse goes:

Our enemies are the American bastards
Who are trying to take over our beautiful fatherland.
With guns that I make with my own hands
I will shoot them. BANG, BANG, BANG.

(The truly poignant words here are “with my own hands.”)

No comment.....

Computers are rare in North Korea, and the Internet, for most of its citizens, is little more than a whispered rumor. It’s probable, in fact, that only one person surfs the Web in North Korea without someone monitoring every click: Kim Jong-il, that authoritarian regime’s supreme leader.

. “It would be a gross exaggeration to say that the people support Kim Jong-il,” they write. “Rather, it does not occur to them to oppose him.” North Koreans are too busy trying to survive, and too preoccupied by the tensions of the supposed mighty conflict with America, to be able to think about much else.

So ordinary N.Korean's simply have no way of knowing what is really happening on the world. They most likely believe they are fighting a war with the evil US and believe their dear-leader is somewhat more powerful than he actually is.

Mr. Myers also cautions against the idea that the West can persuade North Korea to shed its nuclear weapons. Mr. Kim “cannot disarm and hope to stay in power,” he writes. At the same time, he notes, “blue jeans will not bring down this dictatorship.” Any signs of serious unrest, he observes, will encourage Mr. Kim to raise the level of the tension with the West, and possibly do something rash with his nuclear arsenal.

But of course eventually N.Korean's will learn the truth and dissent. As always these dictators blame their people's desire for freedom not on themselves for repressing them, but on the west. It's inevitable that they'll find out the truth and expect freedoms, although slower than in other countries where the net is available. It's inevitable whether the west wants it to happen or not.

Kim has been blaming the west for recent unrest, and I agree this could lead to a rash turn of events. The South have suggested in the event of imminent nuclear attack they will respond premptively.

[edit on 26-1-2010 by john124]

Originally posted by Pellevoisin
Such trades of gunfire have happened on quite a few occasions although given recent events as context this seems more dangerous. DRKP strikes me as a far greater threat to the States and the nations allied with it than Iran, and yet the sabre rattling focuses on Iran where there is a vibrant popular movement growing for change. These sorts of things do not add up leaving me to imagine causes and reasoning and if I am not careful I will be very cross before my first cuppa.

I agree it appears to be more dangerous this time, and the west may appear asleep on this matter, but there may be little that they can do to prevent whatever outcome prevails in N.Korea.

It's inevitable in any country whose people are oppressed that they will desire a better life. The regime's banking system has collapsed in Iran, and they cannot pay much of their workers. The next few weeks will see the regime entirely collapse.

In N.Korea we know very little of recent events, and quite possibly there's unrest that Kim also blames on the US (if he isn't making it up!). Sadly though, he may fail to understand what is really going on, or may be too crazy for rational thought, and let it all go too far than sabre rattling. But that's the reality of having a psychopathic dictator in charge of a country with nukes.

[edit on 26-1-2010 by john124]

Well with the recent threats of "pre-emptive strikes" on one another using nukes could this escalate?

Then we have Israel seemingly getting ready for war with lebanon and hezbollah, possible strike on Iran...

UK terror threat raised to SEVERE, am I missing anything else? Probably the same old fear inducing crap but it really wouldn't be a total shock if we all wake up tomorrow and half the world is on fire and at war

shooting arty in the air?

What.. When, why and how..

Something sounds funny...

New piece of info...real interesting and kinda scary.

Here

“North Korea has recently carried out military drills apparently aimed at preparing for attacks on South Korea, the North’s state television station reported late Tuesday.

The Korean Central Television in Pyongyang ran 59 still photos of drills by the 105th Armored Division. The country’s leader, Kim Jong-il, visited the base for his first field inspection of 2010 and watched the exercise take place.

In an indication that the North had directly targeted the South in its exercise, four of the photos showed signs bearing names of South Korean cities and highways. In one, a tank is seen passing a sign reading, “The Chungang Expressway, Chuncheon-Busan 374 km,” in reference to a highway that connects Gangwon province on the east coast and the Gyeongsang regions in the southeast.

The station reported that Kim was pleased with the preparedness of the division. It is the first unit that invaded Seoul at the onset of the Korean War in 1950.”

Hopefully it's just North Korean propaganda for North Koreans...

This is very provocative, but I am thinking it is saber rattling as the artilery didn't reach the south, there are no casualties or collateral damage.

This is all the preemptive policy non-sense which was proven in moves to start WWIII.

Not going to panic until there is actual real exchange causing loss of life and damage on a more larger scale. Not saying this isn't provocative, as it clearly is. A spark to a greater fire maybe.

More info...

Here

SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells into waters near the inter-Korean sea border Wednesday, while the South responded immediately with warning shots into the air, Seoul officials said.

North Korea fired about 30 artillery shells from 9:05 a.m. through 10:16 a.m., and the shells landed about 2.25 kilometers or 1.5 miles north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), de facto inter-Korean maritime borderline in the west sea. It was within the boundary of the area the communist state previously declared as "no-sail zones," Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

The South Korean navy responded by firing about 100 shoreline Vulcan cannons with a range of 3-4 kilometers only as "warning shots" as the North Korean shells landed on its own waters, according to the JCS. No casualties or injuries were reported as both sides fired toward the air and no fishing boats were then on duty.

They fired that much... interesting.

reply to post by Vitchilo


Thanks for the updated article Vitchilo, very interesting to see that number but again we see it's just smoke and mirrors right now.

That said, I have to be cautious to think nothing is going to come of this spark. It might fizzle or start to rage out of control.

Originally posted by john124

I agree it appears to be more dangerous this time

oh come on John... they fired shots into the air.
2 months ago SOUTH KOREA killed TWO North Koreas and totally DESTROYED a NK war ship...

hardly "more dangerous this time".

More news.

From Twitter Breaking News... always reliable...

South Korean security officials hold emergency meeting after exchange of artillery fire with North in disputed waters

Hopefully they won't consider the first strike option they talked about earlier.

... they won't mix those two reports :

North Korea on Sunday accused the South of declaring war by warning earlier this month that it would launch a preemptive strike if it thought its impoverished neighbor was preparing a nuclear attack.

and this one...

“North Korea has recently carried out military drills apparently aimed at preparing for attacks on South Korea, the North’s state television station reported late Tuesday.

Or this could go bad real fast.


[edit on 26-1-2010 by Vitchilo]

1. Americans to stay out of it, including aid. This is a korean problem, and must be resolved by koreans themselves. They arent stupid to embrace the authoritarianism of the short ass leader.

2. Aid, while compassionate for the starving N.koreans, unfortunately had never been given to the masses, but had only fed to the military whom the short ass needed to keep his enslavement of the masses strong. Thus aid from the world MUST STOP immediately.

2. Increase radar detection and satellite imagery of launch sites. Missiles must be ready to shoot down Nkorean ones. Defense a priority and not aggression, for the short ass have no support of the majority masses. To go to war now will only kill millions of innocents, exactly what the short ass wants to depopulate and shirk off his responsibility to his people. BUt still, it is the S. Koreans choice. May saner heads prevail.

Should the N.koreans move into the DMZ, all safety catches of S.Koreans must be off, for it will only be the fools but armed who dies, unfortunately, but fortunately no civilians live in DMZ zone.

S korea has the capability to stop the advance of the short ass's troops in the air, land and sea, supported by american tech and weapons expanded so far without any further increase.

3. To fight the short ass regime is not by guns, but by creating awareness to the shortchanged masses. Intelligence activities must be stepped up by the S.Koreans. Only Education can truimph over Fear.

The N,Korean mass are only humans, and equally love their children as we do. The short ass can murder a few civilians, but there would not be enough even atom bombs to wipe out EVERY single N.koreans bent on protecting their children from further enslavement.

If they fail to stand up for their own flesh and blood, then its not a right the rest of the world must stand up on their behalf. Freedom can only be won by one's society's own brains and blood, and can never be bestowed upon by another.

Freedom cannot exist by leaning upon the crutches from another, for then the value of it would be lost and not appreciated, but only as an obligation forever owed and expected.



[edit on 26-1-2010 by SeekerofTruth101]

reply to post by Vitchilo


Argh, I might be waking up to come back and check on ATS for updates now. However, this is provocation not an attack, it can lead to escalation but Seoul knows with out a first-strike ... a successful first strike, North Korea can hammer a maelstrom of hurt in her direction.

This war has nuclear potential, chemical potential... if it happens, it might be one of the most messy, devastating results we have seen. All speculation mind you.

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

THIS IS BIG.

(URGENT) N. Korea confirms artillery shooting in Yellow Sea, says firing will continue

Linky

FIRING WILL CONTINUE? South Korea might launch the pre-emptive attack after all...

[edit on 26-1-2010 by Vitchilo]

reply to post by Vitchilo


This is why I love ATS... when things get hot in here, it's fast information.

This may be a fire after all, that spark might of hit some fuel.