N. Korea fires artillery towards S. Korean island, official says (houses destroyed, fire broke out)

Yonhap News ^ | 11/23/10

[TigerLikesRooster]

N. Korea fires artillery towards S. Korean island, official says

SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea on Tuesday fired several rounds of artillery towards South Korean waters and an island near the tense west sea border, the South's military said.

The North's artillery shells fell at 2:34 p.m. in the South's waters off the island of Yeonpyeong, some of them landing directly on the island, said Col. Lee Bung-woo, spokesman at the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The South's military responded with its artillery firing.

[Cardhu]

Sending naval forces into a disputed area is a provocation, see China’s reaction if Japan did that with the island in the South China Sea or when America trys to sends a carrier into the Yellow Sea.

The whole thing is tit for tat and not approved by the South Korean people - it will die down in a couple of days even if the hysteria continues in other parts of the world.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Ping to 140.

[AmericanInTokyo]

If he, Chia Pet, had in fact kicked the bucket, DPRK /Pyongyang radio will be airing funeral type music.

I will check it NOW.

[tobyhill]

and later today Obama will announce a complete withdrawal from South Korea.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Nothing out of the ordinary now on Pyonyang AM radio service just right now (657khz), 5:50 a.m. Eastern. No sad music or any special reports.

Just a boring report being read, probably prerecorded, by some DPRK official. I dont recognize the voice, but it could be Jang Su Taek (aka Fishlips). But nothing along the lines of when Kimilsung kicked the buck and the way their radio reacted.

[Tainan]

The Taiwan “News Media” has so far managed to remain oblivious to these actions.

Sorry beggars that they are.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

Well,now,,,

That would make perfect sense,,,

I’m starting to wonder if the “generals” are in charge,,,

A nasty lookin’ krew...

[jhpigott]

Let us know what you hear

Also this - Bank of Korea emergency meeting of senior officials to be held at 0900GMT

[bushpilot1]

date in camera..lol..she corrected

[TigerLikesRooster]

Local media here says that the news originated in some stock market rumor. It happens once in a while, just about the time we forget about the last stock market rumor about Kim’s demise. So far no indication of his death from other sources.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Well, Taiwanese are said to be all riled up over Taekwondo disqualifying scandal in Asian Games. I thought they would be rooting for N. Koreans.:-)

[AmericanInTokyo]

Pyongyang at the top of the hour has just made a emotional statement in the form of an official government message, dated 24 November Pyonyang. Kim Jong il is tonight on DPRK radio referred to in that official message and in the afterward talk in the present tense and with all the usual honorifics, however the contents of the official announcement was very anti-South Korean, in fact that was the gist of the message, and it was an a very aggressive tone of voice by the male announcer--reception was so-so but seems to be discussing the hot

[AmericanInTokyo]

You are correct, the rumor is just that, rumor (stock market generated). Kim Jong il is alive and well, but the DPRK is taking a very agressive tone to South Korea this afternoon, and there are dead ROK servicemen as a result.

[jhpigott]

How does this Pyongyang radio statement compare vs radio address during previous crisises?

Anything there that would cause you to believe there may be more to come?

[SkyPilot]

God help us, and God help South Korea.

Are you OK?

[AmericanInTokyo]

DPRK radio YESTERDAY evening, domestic service, in their evening broadcasts (around 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. time frame), were particularly virulently anti-ROK (as they are usually anti-ROK but they were really spitting the bile out virulently). This was even before the artillery shelling today of the island. So they seemed to be flipping out as recent as yesterday.

It must have been the South Korean Defense Ministers statement that ROK would accept tactical nukes on South Korean soil to protect against North Korea because they had gone ahead with the new light water work at Yongbyong Nuclear Center.

This is all cause-effect in my book, it seems.

[ladyvet]

Hey Obama... It’s 2am. Your phone’s ringing...

And Bambi will wake up delighted thinking that it's the Good Humor Man.

[AmericanInTokyo]

No, nothing that would indicate that at this time.

[SkyPilot]

When S. Korea allowed N. Korea to sink one of its Naval vessels last March without consequence, I felt that S. Korea had lost its will to fight.

Korea tensions over claims that warship was sunk by torpedo

If the US and S. Korea allows the North to get away with this, then we may have already lost this war.

[TigerLikesRooster]

The red circles on the map are thought to be the source of NK artillery fire: Kaemori Peninsula and Mudo(Island.) The boxed area is Yongpyong Islands.