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.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Believe me, it is better he NOT be awoken for this, and the ROK military and US pentagon move ahead as need be without his incompetent, amateurish interference.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Yeah, their rhetoric has to match the severity of their action. Poor NK soldiers all over NK are probably hauled into indefinite battle station(shoes on at all times, never leave their post.) They do that all the time to whip people/soldiers in line, especially when they create provocation of this magnitude.

[TigerLikesRooster]

I am still breathing and typing.:-) No NK shells landed here yet.

[SkyPilot]

South Korea returned fire with 80 shells and scrambled fighter jets as President Lee Myung Bak vowed to respond “sternly.” Local television channel YTN showed smoke billowing from Yeonpyeong island off South Korea’s northwest coast and said residents took cover in bomb shelters. Stocks and U.S. futures dropped while the dollar and Swiss franc strengthened.

Obama and his bumbling team of amateurs are not going to know what to do. Sec Gates has proved himself to be a putz - concerned only with slashing defense spending (so Obama can dole out trillions in more "stimulus" to Democrat districts). Furthermore, Gates is a PC-warrior. He folded like a cheap tent on signing on to end Don't Ask Don't Tell, he said nothing about Islamic terrorism following the Ft. Hood Massacre, and he fires those around him who dare question his lack of clarity.

[AmericanInTokyo]

The Radio Pyongyang elderly male voice may have been that of the chief defense minister, very stage reading as if from a pronouncement. It was being read in the form of an order.

Then the top of the hour news was a Party-issued statement on South Korean (nam chosunProbably to say they were punished for war games to close to the People's territory, something like that.

I hope Seoul and D.C DO NOT BLINK THIS TIME, following the Cheonan sinking.

[SkyPilot]

Good - thanks for keeping everyone informed.

The last time I was in South Korea was 2006 - I was involved in a military exercise at Osan. While we were in the middle of the exercise, the North was conducting real world border incursions. It was surreal.

I was struck by how professional the ROK military really was. These boys can be tough as nails if they have to be.

Hang in there, and we'll pray for you.

[jhpigott]

In the FWIW department -

Former CIA analyst and foreign policy wonk Michael Scheuer just said on Fox News that we need to take out N. Korea’s Navy right now.

First time I’ve seen that suggestion from someone like that . . .

[TigerLikesRooster]

Gates is a disappointment.

Update

Island residents evacuated by a ship and landing at Inchon Harbor:

[justa-hairyape]

AP story.

North Korea threatens more strikes on South Korea

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea is threatening to continue launching strikes against South Korea if it violates their disputed sea border "even 0.001 millimeter."

North Korea's supreme military command said Tuesday that it would "launch merciless military retaliatory strikes."

[jhpigott]

prudent move -

South Korea on Tuesday banned the movement of all civilian boats and small planes around an island in the West Sea that was attacked by North Korean artillery.
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news/201....

[SE Mom]

Thanks for the updates- stay well.

[AmericanInTokyo]

So that was the official DPRK announcement I heard on their rdio about 34 minutes ago, at the top of the hour, read by a terse male anouncer, spitting vile at the mentioned each time of South Korea (nam chosun).....

Does line up with what I heard.

[TigerLikesRooster]

I think they should. Otherwise, NK would incrementally terrorize SK and consolidate its psychological intimidating power over SK population. God d*mn real estate prices in Seoul can go to hell.

[Rocky]

I’m sure Obama will take immediate action. (Holding my breath.)

More talks are in order.

Maybe a U.N. sanction.

Maybe we could offer them more money to stop firing shells at S. Korea.

[Eye of Unk]

Yeah I saw it too.

[TigerLikesRooster]

OK. N. Koreans make it easier for SK to declare martial law, round up all commies and shoot them. LOL.

[Eye of Unk]

What would or could be the worst thing for an American President to do right now?

Obama seems to have a common course of action, do it wrong, do it to negate America any possible.

[justa-hairyape]

0.001 millimeter !

Not much room for error there.

[Eye of Unk]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2631744/posts
Tokyo presses for military response to North Korean attack (Debka)

[justa-hairyape]

Russia sees 'colossal danger' of Korea escalation

(Reuters) - Russia sees a 'colossal danger' of an escalation in fighting on the Korean peninsula after North Korea's artillery attacked a South Korean island on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"It is necessary to immediately end all strikes. There is a colossal danger which must be avoided. Tensions in the region are growing," Lavrov told reporters during a visit to the Belarussian capital Minsk.