North Korea launches artillery attack on South Korean island

[Brent]

Lots of headlines on twitter the past half-hour

BreakingNews: RT @YonhapNews: (URGENT) Four S. Korean soldiers wounded by N. Korean artillery fire: military officials http://bit.ly/fnmFVE

RT @MalcolmMoore: RT @dandhicks: Report: South Korea says 60 to 70 structures on fire after North Korea bombs western island.

BreakingNews: Update: S. Korean military says it is on highest non-wartime alert after the North's shelling of island - Reuters

BreakingNews: Update: S. Korea says it has scrambled F16 jets after N. Korean island attack - AP

[Rainband]

rutt ro

[RobWESTPACWX]

Time to start packing my sea bag I fear. Defiantly all eyes are watching this.

[RobWESTPACWX]

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/11/23/nkorea.skorea.military.fire/index.html?eref=rss_world&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_world+%28RSS%3A+World%29

[WeatherGuesser]

Screw Twitter, try CNN, Reuters, BBC or Sky news

They're all on it.

From CNN:

Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- North Korea fired artillery toward its tense western sea border with South Korea on Tuesday, killing two South Korean marines, the South's Defense Ministry said.

Fifteen other South Korean soldiers were wounded, five of them seriously, defense officials said. Three civilians were injured in the attack.

At least 200 rounds of artillery hit an inhabited South Korean island in the Yellow Sea after the North started firing about 2:30 p.m. local time, the Yonhap news agency said. The Defense Ministry said it could not confirm that 200 rounds had hit the island.

South Korea's military responded with more than 80 rounds of artillery and deployed fighter jets to counter the fire, defense officials said. Firing between the two sides lasted for about an hour.

More: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/1 ... 1&iref=BN1

[cycloneye]

The markets around the world are lower on the news and when Wall Street opens later this morning,it will open with red arrows pointing down. All of this comes down to the main issue facing North Korea and that is it's nuclear ambitions being discussed at North Korea Nuclear Standoff

[StormingB81]

and I am in okinawa....great!

[RobWESTPACWX]

I did the weather forecast for the recovery of PCC 772 in March. I really hoped that would have been the last of it. I get the feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day.

[WeatherGuesser]

Trying to figure out who owns the island. It looks to be north of the border and there is some chatter on some of the news sites about NK being pissed that SK was conducting games in their area.

I guess it is the South's, but there's language mentioning the disputed Yellow Sea border and such. And now NK is saying they didn't fire first.......

[RobWESTPACWX]

The Island is South of the NLL, technically S Korea.

[cycloneye]

Some twitter messages from region.

1305: Japan describes North Korea's artillery attack as "unforgiveable".

1305: The office of South Korea's president says in a statement: "The firing... constitutes an indisputable armed provocation against the Republic of Korea. Such actions will never be tolerated.

1300: Sam Kim in Seoul tweets: Returned from a quick meal. Streets as peaceful as they normally are. Only thing unusual was a radio relaying the news of attack in high tone.

[RobWESTPACWX]

Well I'm off to bed, likely a long day tomorrow. I'll let you guys know if I come by any info that I can relay. Hopefully I don't get deployed.

[mf_dolphin]

Stay safe Rob and Storming!

[Ptarmigan]

Not good.

[Aslkahuna]

Back in the 1960's when I was assigned to Korea, I briefly visited one of those disputed islands which was 8000 yards off the NoKOR coast. It was a bit eerie to stand on the ridge and look across the water and see the North Korean landmass and knowthat there were probably soldiers looking back and artillery in place and in range.

Steve

[brunota2003]

I know the feeling. I'm watching it closely as well up here at Drum.

[Stephanie]

and I am in okinawa....great!

We'll be thinking about all of you over there! This incident can't be ignored.

[RobWESTPACWX]

Well, what I can say is the GWA is not in port right now. They were already scheduled to get underway though for a routine exercise here.

O and if you are not sure where this island is CNN has a good map to show..



This is very close to where PCC 772 sunk in March, over all the NLL (northern limit line) is a very disputed area and if anything like this was to happen this seems to be the logical area. For example everyday fishing vessels are turned around and sent back across the line from both sides.

[wyq614]

As people from neighbouring country of both NK and SK, even ordinary Chinese that don't care politics so much feel worried and threatened, just don't wish to see two neighbours fighting while GWA rushing to just beside our gate. Personally think NK will be our constant threat, troublemaker and food/resource "black hole".

[cycloneye]

Part of protests that occured in Seul against North Korea's attack.