North Korea shells South Korean island:A South Korean soldier was killed and 13 others injured after North Korea fired dozens of artillery shells onto a South Korean island setting more than 60 houses ablaze and sending civilians fleeing in terror.This will certainly win hearts and minds. More details:
Defence Minister Kim Tae-Young said the South fired 80 shots in response to the North's shelling.In other news, AFP, which is basically redundant to Xinhua, reports that Chinese and Japanese patrol boats had a stand-off in the Senkakus:"We were carrying out naval, air force and army training exercises and they (the North) seem to have opened fire in objection," a military official was quoted as saying by YTN.
The incident comes amid high cross-border tensions over the North's nuclear programme and the deadly sinking of a South Korean warship near the border in March.
The South blames a North Korean torpedo attack while the North denies responsibility.
Yeonpyeong lies just south of the border declared by United Nations forces after the war, but north of the sea border declared by North Korea.
Chinese and Japanese patrol boats were involved in a brief weekend stand-off near disputed islands, China's state media has reported, accusing the Japanese side of "unreasonable interference".My favorite part of this little piece is AFP's description of Japan's sovereignty over the Senkakus:Two Chinese fishery patrol vessels were cruising near the islands in the East China Sea on Saturday when they were approached by up to seven Japanese patrol boats and two reconnaissance aircraft that circled above, the Nanfang Daily newspaper reported.
The Japanese side asked the Chinese boats when they planned to leave, said the report issued Monday.
The Chinese boats responded by saying the disputed waters were "China's sacred territory" and they vowed to continue carrying out patrols in future.
"traditionally more of a presence." You mean like, ownership, right?Both Tokyo and Beijing claim the potentially resource-rich islets, known as the Diaoyu islands in China and the Senkaku in Japan, along with their surrounding waters.
However, Japan has traditionally had more of a presence in the area.
Al Jazeera has more live coverage of the Korean situation.
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Michael, you usually have your finger on events...
ReplyDeleteIs there any relationship between N Korean military acitivity and Communist Chinese military activity. I'm wondering if there's a pattern of one action meaning to conceal another.
Boy...I think we might be in a new type of cold war already. But interestingly I think the US officials are actually asking China for help in the North and South Korea situation.
ReplyDeleteSouth Korea president has balls though, unlike Ma. Then again North Korea is a much weaker country, although crazier.
Much ado about nothing...
ReplyDeleteOkami said...
ReplyDelete"Much ado about nothing..." ?!
Go tell it to those islanders, to those two marines' berived relatives, and to the whole South Korean people.
"Okami said...
ReplyDeleteMuch ado about nothing..."
i know what you meant and i agree.
us and sk dare do nothing against country that has nuclear weapons and dares to use it readily.
"The US officials are actually asking China for help in the North and South Korea situation"
ReplyDeleteAnd they are not getting any. China made a statement asking both sides to calm down, totally ignoring that NK is the sole aggressor in this.
Theoretically there might be more going on behind the scenes, but I doubt it. China doesn't want SK/US exercises, what NK is doing suits them very well.
Funny how you were willing to shill for the Communists during the Cheonan incident, but not now. What changed?
ReplyDeleteWhat changed? Evidence, of course. No evidence supports the conclusion the Cheonan was sunk by a Nork sub. All evidence including NK admission says they shelled the island.
ReplyDeleteThe great thing about leading an evidence-driven life is that you can change your mind. I feel sorry for people like you who are driven by ideology.
Michael
I was wondering if it is likely that Beijing in its guise as "peace maker" will put forward a settlement solution that will involve ceasatoin of all joint South Korean and U.S naval exercises as a means of calming tension between the two sides.
ReplyDelete