South Korea orders evacuation of the islands near the border with the North Korea

ABC News ^

[jhpigott]

South Korea has now ordered the evacuation of the islands near the border with the North.

Yesterday’s North Korean artillery attack killed two South Korean marines, generated international outrage and ratcheted up fears of a major conflict between the two Koreas.

Around 50 North Korean shells hit a small island near the border, setting houses on fire. South Korea responded with its own artillery attack.

ELEANOR HALL: And the government has ordered the evacuation of these islands, tell us about that.

STEPHEN MCDONNEL: Well around the sort of west coast, north-west coast of South Korea there are all these small islands which are quite close to what North Korea considers the sea border and this is where this all broke out in the first place.

The South Koreans are having their exercises in the sea there and firing shells I suppose into what the North Koreans say is their sea.

And I suppose that the officials have just decided that is the South Korean government officials, it's too dangerous to have people on these small and remote island communities so they're bringing them in via ferry.

And again we're seeing interviews at Incheon port as people get off these ferries arriving back in from these sort of outer islands off the north-west coast of South Korea.

[jhpigott]

Couple of different sources now reporting the islands around the NLL are being evacuated. Doesn't sound like things are de-escalating.

[jhpigott]

ping

[GOP Poet]

sad. sad indeed.

[jhpigott]

Remaining residents to evacuate Yeonpyeong Island

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/2010/11/25/0200000000AEN20101125006100315.HTML

[Texaspeptoman]

I don’t know... but isn’t this an invite to the Norks saying, “Hey come on in - we left ‘em open for ya.”

Of course, if they mined the place and surrounding waters, that might be a different reason for the evac.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Eliminate the hostile artillery.

[tcrlaf]

That’s a definate sign of things ratcheting upward...

[NeverForgetBataan]

Good. Evacuate it and make a big show of it. That might draw
the stupid Norks in and then we can claim they invaded.

Then let the Norks have a taste of the precision guided bombs
they don’t have.

[jhpigott]

yep. this is not going to calm the nerves.

Also seeing reports that the ROK is going to reinforce the military garrisons on these islands.

All this, plus a little gunboat diplomacy sending the GW into the Yellow Sea should make for a very interesting and tense week.

[lonevoice]

This is so sad.

[GeronL]

hopefully not a surrender

[Jet Jaguar]

ping

[kearnyirish2]

Anybody that believes this nonsense should have their head examined; N. Korea is owned by Red China, our preferred trading partner. I guess this is supposed to distract us from our 20%+ unemployment rate? S. Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and India would be more than happy to show America’s slave colony what they can do (they already did it, between Japan & Thailand alone, 60 years ago). There is no reason to treat this any differently than “Elvis face seen on the moon”.

[Irenic]

This is so sad.
________________________________
Agreed...

[Forward the Light Brigade]

This will all blow over —in a week it will be forgotten. No one wants war here. Without China or Russia North Korea would fail in any attempt. This was all for show.

[BerryDingle]

North Korea Reportedly warns of More Attacks

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2632808/posts

[AmericanInTokyo]

Pyongyang Radio right now full of very intense anti-South rhetoric. Really spitting it out like crazy... 3:38 a.m. Eastern time, Thanksgiving Day.

[justa-hairyape]

Looks like they might be evacuating civilians and sending more troops to islands. Must suspect possible invasion of islands by north.

China says concerned at U.S.-South Korea military drill

SEOUL (Reuters) - China expressed concern on Thursday about joint U.S.-South Korean military exercises in the Yellow Sea while North Korea threatened more attacks on the wealthy South if there are more "provocations."

Seoul said it would increase troops on islands near North Korea following Tuesday's bombardment of one of its small islands by Pyongyang's artillery, which has caused a sharp spike in tension in the world's fastest growing region.

[justa-hairyape]

Excerpt from above article.

NO ROGUE COMMANDER

The government declined comment but, if correct, would rule out one theory that the North's bombardment of Yeonpyeong, just south of the disputed border, might have been the decision of a rogue military commander.