SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea fired artillery barrages onto a South Korean island near their disputed border Tuesday, setting buildings alight and prompting South Korea to return fire and scramble fighter jets. At least one South Korean marine was killed and 13 wounded, the military said.
The skirmish came amid high tension over North Korea’s claim that it has a new uranium enrichment facility and just six weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Il unveiled his youngest son Kim Jong Un as his heir apparent.
One South Korean marine was killed, three were seriously wounded and 10 slightly wounded, a Joint Chiefs of Staff official said.
YTN TV said several houses were on fire and shells were still falling on Yeonpyeong island, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of the coast. The station broadcast pictures of thick columns of black smoke rising from the island, which has a population of 1,200 to 1,300.
President Lee Myung-bak ordered officials to “sternly respond” to North Korea’s action but also called on officials to make sure that the “situation would not escalate,” according to a presidential official. He asked not to be identified, citing the issue’s sensitivity.
Lee was holding a security meeting in a presidential situation room, the official said.
In a message to North Korea’s armed forces, South Korea’s military urged the North to stop provocations and warned of strong measures unless the North stopped, another Joint Chiefs of Staff official said.
The JCS official said dozens of rounds of artillery landed on the island and in the sea. The official said 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 could not confirm the reports of casualties.
Tensions between the two Koreas have remained high since the sinking in March of a South Korean warship in which 46 sailors died. Seoul blamed a North Korean torpedo, while Pyongyang has denied any responsibility.
North Korea’s actions “are illegal and a violation of the 1953 armistice agreement” that ended the Korean War, the JCS official said.
South Korea responded by firing K-9 155mm self-propelled howitzer, but the JCS official declined to say whether North Korean territory was hit by the South Korean artillery.
JCS said island residents are escaping to about 20 shelters in the island.
The skirmish came amid high tension over North Korea’s claim that it has a new uranium enrichment facility and just six weeks after North Korean leader Kim Jong Il unveiled his youngest son Kim Jong Un as his heir apparent.
One South Korean marine was killed, three were seriously wounded and 10 slightly wounded, a Joint Chiefs of Staff official said.
YTN TV said several houses were on fire and shells were still falling on Yeonpyeong island, about 75 miles (120 kilometers) west of the coast. The station broadcast pictures of thick columns of black smoke rising from the island, which has a population of 1,200 to 1,300.
President Lee Myung-bak ordered officials to “sternly respond” to North Korea’s action but also called on officials to make sure that the “situation would not escalate,” according to a presidential official. He asked not to be identified, citing the issue’s sensitivity.
Lee was holding a security meeting in a presidential situation room, the official said.
In a message to North Korea’s armed forces, South Korea’s military urged the North to stop provocations and warned of strong measures unless the North stopped, another Joint Chiefs of Staff official said.
The JCS official said dozens of rounds of artillery landed on the island and in the sea. The official said 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 could not confirm the reports of casualties.
Tensions between the two Koreas have remained high since the sinking in March of a South Korean warship in which 46 sailors died. Seoul blamed a North Korean torpedo, while Pyongyang has denied any responsibility.
North Korea’s actions “are illegal and a violation of the 1953 armistice agreement” that ended the Korean War, the JCS official said.
South Korea responded by firing K-9 155mm self-propelled howitzer, but the JCS official declined to say whether North Korean territory was hit by the South Korean artillery.
JCS said island residents are escaping to about 20 shelters in the island.
So you going to tell us? Or just post a AP story?
ReplyDeleteSince we are laying blame let us be honest about when the crisis began and under who it escalated the most, George W. Bush.
Pyongyang claims US is to blame as it restarts nuclear facilities
Published Date: 06 February 2003
By MARGARET NEIGHBOUR
......"But if it wants to handle this issue, it should fairly call into question the responsibility of the US, which is chiefly to blame for the outbreak of this issue and for the strained situation."
It said the United States had triggered the nuclear crisis with President George Bush’s speech last year branding North Korea, Iran and Iraq an "axis of evil" and with US policy calling for pre-emptive nuclear strikes against rogue states
and we continue
July 4-5, 2006: North Korea test fires seven ballistic missiles, including its longest-range missile, the Taepo Dong-2. The other six tests include a combination of short- and medium-range Scud-C and Nodong ballistic missiles, launched from the Kittaraeyong test site. Although the tests of the six short-range missiles appear to be successful, the Taepo Dong-2 fails less than a minute after launch.
A July 4 State Department press statement describes the launches as a “provocative act” that violated North Korea’s voluntary moratorium on flight-testing longer-range missiles, which Pyongyang had observed since September 1999.
October 11, 2006: North Korea’s Foreign Ministry states that its “nuclear test was entirely attributable to the US nuclear threat, sanctions and pressure,” adding that North Korea “was compelled to substantially prove its possession of nukes to protect its sovereignty.” The statement also indicates that North Korea might conduct further nuclear tests if the United States “increases pressure” on the country.
August 11, 2008: The 45-day period after which the president may remove North Korea from the State Department’s terrorism list expires. The president does not carry out the de-listing at this time. State Department spokesman Robert Wood tells reporters the next day that the 45-day period is a “minimum” rather than a deadline.
August 26, 2008: KCNA carries a statement by a North Korean Foreign ministry official stating that the United States has not carried out its commitment to remove Pyongyang from the State Department’s terrorism list and that agreement on a verification protocol was not a condition of that commitment. In response, the statement indicates that Pyongyang will suspend the disablement of its key nuclear facilities at Yongbyon and consider taking steps to restore them “to their original state.”
September 17, 2008: Jane’s Defense Weekly reports that North Korea has nearly completed a new missile test site on its western coast near the village of Pongdong-ni. The site is believed to be more sophisticated than North Korea’s eastern missile launch site at Musudan-ri, with a capacity to carry out flights tests of larger missiles on a more frequent basis.
So as you can see from the chronology it was Bush Admin actions that the Koreans claim they responded to not Obama's. So much of the current crisis has blame in the policies of W.
I have to wonder why the US failed to live up to its negotiated position of not removing North Korea from its terrorist list. Why offer it in the first place if you have no intentions of removing it, or was the US being played by North Korea and realized it too late?
Joe This crisis started in 1950 when the North Invaded South Korea and since 1953 many administration have had their finger in the pie.
ReplyDeleteMany administrations have failed to get any agreement from negotiations and probablly never will. Getting the cease fire in 1953 may be as close as anybody gets to peace and it will ALWAYS be fragile cause The North is not after peace but confrontation either now or down the road. The North like Iran is controlled by basicly mad men and how do you negotiate with the insane? These madmen do smell weakness and that will be OUR test.
The only way to solve the unsolvable when negotionations over more than half a century dont work will be im afraid at some point confrontation. Just dont know all the players but it will some day occurr.
Our military is in harms way and our government must do whats right not only for S.Korea but to me whats right for OUR military.
No Joe I just posed an AP story and let you do all the blamning. You are so dishonest it's amazing. Take a look in the mirror for a change Joe.
ReplyDeleteSo Chris i went to the AP site and i couldn't find any story under the headline,
ReplyDelete"Why Is The World Coming Apart Under The Democratic Party?"
Are you sure that they used that title and suggested that this is somehow a Democrat problem? I thought you wrote the headline blaming the democrats. Again your intellectual dishonesty is evident in how you choose to blog and how you respond to criticism.
Al, i agree with you that negations with North Korea is tenuous at best, but we do have a means to bring them in. Despite his madness the elder ruler and his heir to be do understand that they have many issues and that they have to do something.
ReplyDeleteBowing openly to the US is not going to happen and the fact that sanctions are working too well, they will not buckle but ramp up escalations. We both agree that this will come to a military conflict. NK has no other choice. If it can't get food and supplies it will have to move forward, hoping increasing tensions would bring South Korea, Japaen, China and the Us to the table where they could get some relief from sanctions.
You know how they make dogs mean? They starve them. Its working over there two.
We are under Democrat rule now aren't we Joe? You blamed Bush and we haven't had anything like this since the 1950's in Korea. Toughen up little buddy because the Democratic Party did a lot of things that they will get blamed for. And like you we will not hold back our opinions for fear of hurting the liberals "fellings". It's going to be a rough ride for you liberals. We have been on that ride for a while and when we were on it the libs through everything they could at us. Try not to sound like a bunch of little girls when it's your turn. You liberals can sure dish it out but you can't take it.
ReplyDeleteJoe it was the Democratic Party and the Obama admin that promised peace,respect and all the other hard sell lies. If they make big promises to get elected then cry when they can't do anything right because they are over their heads they get the blame. I'm sure Obama will hide like Clinton did. And you libs were so upset when Bush stood up to those countries and put the fear of America back in them. Let's see what Obama does about this. Maybe he will run and hide like most liberals do.
ReplyDeleteThe sanctions were put in place to bring N. Korea to the table regarding Their development of nuclear weapons and we must admit that they have made greater strides in that endeavor. Seems to me that the fact that their citizens are starving is not and will not deter them from their path. Prior to sanctions citizens in N.Korea were not exactly "Obese" due to abundant food supplies,not a important issue to their regime and actually probablly helps regime control the masses.
ReplyDeleteJoe some dogs are mean or or rabid before you do ANY thing to them and this N. Korea regime was rabid long before sanctions and have never cared about their own citizens let alone citizens in other countrys. A Rabid dog must eventually be dealt with and you dont deal with them by being NICE they will indeed bite you in the ASS. Maybe not now but CONFLICT will decide N. Koreas fate eventually,No other out come will occurr does the DOG is Rabid.