South Koreans hurt, evacuated after North Korea firing

[Big Don]

South Koreans hurt, evacuated after North Korea firing

1:37am EST
SEOUL (Reuters)(Reporting by Jack Kim; Writing by Yoo Choonsik)
EXCERPT:
- Several South Korean civilians and soldiers were wounded and many others were being evacuated to bunkers on an island hit by dozens of artillery shells fired by North Korea on Tuesday, a Seoul television reported.
YTN cable news channel also quoted an witness as saying power failure was reported on Yeonpyeong island near the border with the North after the firing, while pictures from the channel showed at least four plumes of smoke on the island.
END EXCERPT
This is VERY, very bad.

 

[Bruno@MT]

It sure isn't good allright.
I'd like to know why the NKs started firing to know whether it was provoked or whether it was a unilateral strike.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

So, is the truce over with and we're back at war with NK?

 

[Scott T]

So, is the truce over with and we're back at war with NK?

Looks like a definite possibility.

Gee, maybe the can use it for the basis for a new M*A*S*H series!

 

[Bruno@MT]

So, is the truce over with and we're back at war with NK?

When looking at the US, war or peace are more like theoretical concepts
I am still waiting to get a better view of what happened. Was it provoked or not?

 

[Bruno@MT]

OK it seems that territory has always been subject to conflict due to the unilateral decision of where the boundary is supposed to be. Holding military exercises in such an area is equivalent to trying to provoke a reaction imo.

Like I sometimes say: If you are trying to provoke Mike Tyson, you'd better have a solid plan for dealing with his fists.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

NK's justification often seems to be "their mere existence".
Problem when you're led but a nutcase.

 

[Gemini]

The North does not acknowledge the maritime boundaries as laid out by the UN and therefore claim the South started the exchange by firing into the North's waters, albeit away from the peninsula. After the North fired on the island, the South did retaliate. Tensions are very high right now, but it's seems to have calmed down, at least for now.

 

[Bruno@MT]

The North does not acknowledge the maritime boundaries as laid out by the UN and therefore claim the South started the exchange by firing into the North's waters, albeit away from the peninsula. After the North fired on the island, the South did retaliate. Tensions are very high right now, but it's seems to have calmed down, at least for now.

The conflict can only go 2 ways.
a) things will calm down. There will be bullets exchanged, sabre rattling and strong language, and that will be that.
b) NK will destroy SK, and the US will flatten NK (not necessarily in that order)

The only way to break the status quo would be to completely evacuate SK, taking away the hostages of Kim Jong Il. But even then, any ground based actions will cause a dath toll not seen in a long time unless the major military targets are flattened with hydrogen bombs.

So all in all, I think it is not likely to change.

 

[Gemini]

a) things will calm down. There will be bullets exchanged, sabre rattling and strong language, and that will be that.
b) NK will destroy SK, and the US will flatten NK (not necessarily in that order)

No doubt option "a" since:
1. NK is no match for SK (they just have bigger balls) and
2. the Chinese haven't (and aren't going to) allow anything to happen to their little buddies.