This must be a fake news. Yesterday's Mypaper claimed that the Cold war is over for good.
-
IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
North Korea has fired several artillery shells into South Korea
- Thread starter bakaroo
- Start date
-
- Tags
- korea north korea
G
Guile
Guest
Why North Korean strike will not trigger world war three
Why North Korean strike will not trigger world war three
Even though the fighting in Korea has all the elements needed to spark off the next world war – weapons of mass destruction, hostile superpowers, and a failing, nuclear-armed regime – it is improbable that apocalypse is around the corner in East Asia.
By Praveen Swami, Diplomatic Editor 3:43PM GMT 23 Nov 2010
South Korea is one of the engines of Asian prosperity, on which the world's hopes of an early economic recovery rest on peace in the region. By attacking Yeonpyeong island, a target of no strategic value, North Korea's dysfunctional regime is telling the world how much pain it could inflict if it isn't bribed to behave itself. It hopes that its sabre-rattling will force talks where the West will agree to a substantial aid package in return for a guarantee that Pyonyang will not produce further nuclear weapons. Both sides want wealth, not world war three.
Like other weak but nuclear-armed states, North Korea believes it can use limited conventional-weapons aggression to secure its objectives, since its weapons guarantee it protection from large-scale retaliation that could threaten its existence. The first sign of North Korea's post-nuclear strategy emerged when it sank the South Korean naval corvette Cheonan in March.
Nuclear deterrence guru Glenn Snyder described the phenomenon, of which there are several examples, as the "stability-instability paradox". Beijing military hawks fought Russia over the Zhebao island on the Ussuri river in 1969 to strengthen their political position without actually risking a large-scale war that would have destroyed them. Pakistan fought a limited war with India over Kashmir in 1999, a year after both countries tested their nuclear weapons.
The real fear now is that protracted North Korean aggression will push South Korea and Japan to reconsider their long-held taboo on possessing nuclear weapons. Chang Kwan-Il, South Korea's defence minister, said on Monday that it had no immediate plans to request the US to station tactical nuclear missiles on its soil, to bolster the 28,500 troops stationed there. Tuesday's events will obviously change that equation.
The US, aware of hostile Chinese reaction, is unlikely to want to do so. If it refuses, though, its East Asian allies will begin to doubt its willingness to use its nuclear weapons if push comes to shove – and like the UK and France decades ago, go it alone. Both countries' advanced industrial capabilities mean they are, for all practical purposes, a screwdriver's twist away from actually building one.
In February, the US Joint Forces Command admitted both countries "could quickly build nuclear devices if they chose to do so." Korea officially ended its nuclear-weapons programme in 1975, but the International Atomic Energy Agency recently discovered its scientists had continued to work on weapons-production technologies.
Even though memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still inform public opinion in Japan, conservatives have long called for the country to develop nuclear-weapons capabilities. Last year, Shoichi Nakagawa, an influential politician, bluntly said that "it is nuclear that can counteract nuclear."
Why North Korean strike will not trigger world war three
Even though the fighting in Korea has all the elements needed to spark off the next world war – weapons of mass destruction, hostile superpowers, and a failing, nuclear-armed regime – it is improbable that apocalypse is around the corner in East Asia.
By Praveen Swami, Diplomatic Editor 3:43PM GMT 23 Nov 2010
South Korea is one of the engines of Asian prosperity, on which the world's hopes of an early economic recovery rest on peace in the region. By attacking Yeonpyeong island, a target of no strategic value, North Korea's dysfunctional regime is telling the world how much pain it could inflict if it isn't bribed to behave itself. It hopes that its sabre-rattling will force talks where the West will agree to a substantial aid package in return for a guarantee that Pyonyang will not produce further nuclear weapons. Both sides want wealth, not world war three.
Like other weak but nuclear-armed states, North Korea believes it can use limited conventional-weapons aggression to secure its objectives, since its weapons guarantee it protection from large-scale retaliation that could threaten its existence. The first sign of North Korea's post-nuclear strategy emerged when it sank the South Korean naval corvette Cheonan in March.
Nuclear deterrence guru Glenn Snyder described the phenomenon, of which there are several examples, as the "stability-instability paradox". Beijing military hawks fought Russia over the Zhebao island on the Ussuri river in 1969 to strengthen their political position without actually risking a large-scale war that would have destroyed them. Pakistan fought a limited war with India over Kashmir in 1999, a year after both countries tested their nuclear weapons.
The real fear now is that protracted North Korean aggression will push South Korea and Japan to reconsider their long-held taboo on possessing nuclear weapons. Chang Kwan-Il, South Korea's defence minister, said on Monday that it had no immediate plans to request the US to station tactical nuclear missiles on its soil, to bolster the 28,500 troops stationed there. Tuesday's events will obviously change that equation.
The US, aware of hostile Chinese reaction, is unlikely to want to do so. If it refuses, though, its East Asian allies will begin to doubt its willingness to use its nuclear weapons if push comes to shove – and like the UK and France decades ago, go it alone. Both countries' advanced industrial capabilities mean they are, for all practical purposes, a screwdriver's twist away from actually building one.
In February, the US Joint Forces Command admitted both countries "could quickly build nuclear devices if they chose to do so." Korea officially ended its nuclear-weapons programme in 1975, but the International Atomic Energy Agency recently discovered its scientists had continued to work on weapons-production technologies.
Even though memories of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still inform public opinion in Japan, conservatives have long called for the country to develop nuclear-weapons capabilities. Last year, Shoichi Nakagawa, an influential politician, bluntly said that "it is nuclear that can counteract nuclear."
G
Guile
Guest
North Korea's conflict with the South: timeline
North Korea's conflict with the South: timeline
North and South Korea have been involved in a number of skirmishes since the 1950-1953 war, which ended in an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty:
South Korea's Yeonpueong Island is engulfed in thick smoke after North Korean military launches artillery attack Photo: EPA
7:41AM GMT 23 Nov 2010
January 21, 1968: North Korean commandos stage a raid on Seoul's presidential Blue House in an attempt to assassinate President Park Chung-Hee. They are stopped just 800 metres (yards) away. All 32 are killed or captured in subsequent days.
August 15, 1974: North Korean agent fires at Park during a speech. He misses but the shot kills the president's wife. Park continues his speech.
October 9, 1983: The North's agents blow up a landmark in Burma (now Myanmar) just before the visiting South Korean President Chun Hoo-Hwan is set to arrive. Four South Korean cabinet ministers and 16 others are killed.
November 29, 1987: All 115 people on board are killed when a bomb planted by the North's agents explodes on a South Korean airliner.
September 1996: A North Korean submarine lands commandos on the South Korean coast, prompting a huge manhunt. Twenty-four infiltrators are shot dead including 11 by their own hand, one is captured and one unaccounted for.
June 15, 1999: A clash breaks out along the Yellow Sea border, the first naval battle since the Korean War. A North Korean boat with an estimated 20 sailors aboard is sunk.
June 29, 2002: A South Korean ship is sunk and six sailors killed in another Yellow Sea clash, while Seoul is co-hosting the football World Cup. An estimated 13 North Koreans die.
November 10, 2009: Navies of the two sides exchange fire near the Yellow Sea border. Seoul officials say a North Korean patrol boat retreated in flames but its casualties are unknown. No South Koreans are hurt.
March 26, 2010: An unexplained explosion hits the Cheonan, a 1,200-tonne South Korean corvette, near the disputed border and the warship breaks in two. A total of 58 sailors are rescued but 46 die.
May 20, 2010: A report by a multinational investigation team says the Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo launched from a North Korean submarine.
May 24, 2010: South Korea suspends trade with the North and bans its ships from Seoul's waters. The White House says the sanctions are "entirely appropriate" as President Barack Obama orders the US military to work closely with South Korea.
Oct 29, 2010: North and South Korean troops exchange fire across their border, cranking up tensions before the G20 summit of world leaders in Seoul.
Nov 23, 2010: North Korea fires artillery shells onto a South Korean border island, prompting an exchange of fire with southern troops along with casualties and property damage, officials and reports said.
North Korea's conflict with the South: timeline
North and South Korea have been involved in a number of skirmishes since the 1950-1953 war, which ended in an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty:
South Korea's Yeonpueong Island is engulfed in thick smoke after North Korean military launches artillery attack Photo: EPA
7:41AM GMT 23 Nov 2010
January 21, 1968: North Korean commandos stage a raid on Seoul's presidential Blue House in an attempt to assassinate President Park Chung-Hee. They are stopped just 800 metres (yards) away. All 32 are killed or captured in subsequent days.
August 15, 1974: North Korean agent fires at Park during a speech. He misses but the shot kills the president's wife. Park continues his speech.
October 9, 1983: The North's agents blow up a landmark in Burma (now Myanmar) just before the visiting South Korean President Chun Hoo-Hwan is set to arrive. Four South Korean cabinet ministers and 16 others are killed.
November 29, 1987: All 115 people on board are killed when a bomb planted by the North's agents explodes on a South Korean airliner.
September 1996: A North Korean submarine lands commandos on the South Korean coast, prompting a huge manhunt. Twenty-four infiltrators are shot dead including 11 by their own hand, one is captured and one unaccounted for.
June 15, 1999: A clash breaks out along the Yellow Sea border, the first naval battle since the Korean War. A North Korean boat with an estimated 20 sailors aboard is sunk.
June 29, 2002: A South Korean ship is sunk and six sailors killed in another Yellow Sea clash, while Seoul is co-hosting the football World Cup. An estimated 13 North Koreans die.
November 10, 2009: Navies of the two sides exchange fire near the Yellow Sea border. Seoul officials say a North Korean patrol boat retreated in flames but its casualties are unknown. No South Koreans are hurt.
March 26, 2010: An unexplained explosion hits the Cheonan, a 1,200-tonne South Korean corvette, near the disputed border and the warship breaks in two. A total of 58 sailors are rescued but 46 die.
May 20, 2010: A report by a multinational investigation team says the Cheonan was sunk by a torpedo launched from a North Korean submarine.
May 24, 2010: South Korea suspends trade with the North and bans its ships from Seoul's waters. The White House says the sanctions are "entirely appropriate" as President Barack Obama orders the US military to work closely with South Korea.
Oct 29, 2010: North and South Korean troops exchange fire across their border, cranking up tensions before the G20 summit of world leaders in Seoul.
Nov 23, 2010: North Korea fires artillery shells onto a South Korean border island, prompting an exchange of fire with southern troops along with casualties and property damage, officials and reports said.
Re: North Korea's conflict with the South: timeline
There's more than meets the eyes...
[Editorial] More stunning flaws in Cheonan evidence
An experimental finding has emerged indicating that, contrary to the announcement of the Defense Ministry’s Civilian-Military Joint Investigation Group (JIG), the adhesive substance found on the Cheonan and a torpedo propeller was not formed by an explosion. This is not something to be taken lightly, as it is scientifically incompatible with the government’s announcement that the Cheonan was attacked with a torpedo launched by a North Korean submarine.
According to a recent report by weekly news magazine Hankyoreh 21 and public broadcaster KBS’s program “In Depth 60 Minutes,” Andong National University Earth and Environmental Science Professor Jeong Gi-young was commissioned by the two news outlets to conduct an analysis of the substance found on the Cheonan. His research used a sample of the substance provided to the Three Press Groups’ Verification Committee of the Results of the Cheonan Investigation by the Defense Ministry through Democratic Labor Party Chairwoman Lee Jung-hee.
In contrast with the JIG, which conducted just five experiments, including X-ray diffraction analysis, Jeong conducted a total of 11 experiments, including those five as well as a scanning electronic microscope analysis. This was a much more rigorous scientific procedure, and the results, according to Jeong, showed that the substance appeared to be Amorphous Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide Hydrate (AASH), which is produced at temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius, rather than aluminum oxide formed under high-temperature explosion conditions, as the JIG announced.
Based on these findings, there is yet another serious flaw in the JIG’s account, which used its own analysis of the substance as a basis for making the connection that the torpedo propeller salvaged at the site of the accident was debris from the very same torpedo that was used to attack the Cheonan. Along with the discovery of a clamshell in pristine condition in a small hole at the back of the propeller, this provides an additional strong basis for questioning the JIG’s findings.
Of course, it would be a leap to come to the absolute conclusion simply on this basis that the cause of the Cheonan’s was not in fact a torpedo by North Korea. What is becoming apparent, however, is that the JIG’s investigation was very hastily conducted and sloppy. These additional findings magnify the need to conduct new scientific analysis for each of the different substances found in various places on the hull.
The Defense Ministry expressed distrust, claiming that Jeong’s analysis did not meet the necessary conditions, such as the sample being opened with representatives from the ministry in attendance. It also said it has no plans to conduct additional experiments.
This attitude from the ministry is problematic. If the ministry simply attempts to bury the questions, this will only lead to further criticism of the JIG and the Lee Myung-bak administration.
Now more than ever, it is necessary to find out the exact truth about the Cheonan’s sinking, no matter how long it takes. One effective means of doing so would be for Jeong and scientists from the JIG to work together to analyze the different substances from the hull one more time. We hope the Defense Ministry will change its stance. It may also be prudent for the National Assembly to take responsibility for supervising the process.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_editorial/449616.html
There's more than meets the eyes...
[Editorial] More stunning flaws in Cheonan evidence
An experimental finding has emerged indicating that, contrary to the announcement of the Defense Ministry’s Civilian-Military Joint Investigation Group (JIG), the adhesive substance found on the Cheonan and a torpedo propeller was not formed by an explosion. This is not something to be taken lightly, as it is scientifically incompatible with the government’s announcement that the Cheonan was attacked with a torpedo launched by a North Korean submarine.
According to a recent report by weekly news magazine Hankyoreh 21 and public broadcaster KBS’s program “In Depth 60 Minutes,” Andong National University Earth and Environmental Science Professor Jeong Gi-young was commissioned by the two news outlets to conduct an analysis of the substance found on the Cheonan. His research used a sample of the substance provided to the Three Press Groups’ Verification Committee of the Results of the Cheonan Investigation by the Defense Ministry through Democratic Labor Party Chairwoman Lee Jung-hee.
In contrast with the JIG, which conducted just five experiments, including X-ray diffraction analysis, Jeong conducted a total of 11 experiments, including those five as well as a scanning electronic microscope analysis. This was a much more rigorous scientific procedure, and the results, according to Jeong, showed that the substance appeared to be Amorphous Aluminum Sulfate Hydroxide Hydrate (AASH), which is produced at temperatures below 100 degrees Celsius, rather than aluminum oxide formed under high-temperature explosion conditions, as the JIG announced.
Based on these findings, there is yet another serious flaw in the JIG’s account, which used its own analysis of the substance as a basis for making the connection that the torpedo propeller salvaged at the site of the accident was debris from the very same torpedo that was used to attack the Cheonan. Along with the discovery of a clamshell in pristine condition in a small hole at the back of the propeller, this provides an additional strong basis for questioning the JIG’s findings.
Of course, it would be a leap to come to the absolute conclusion simply on this basis that the cause of the Cheonan’s was not in fact a torpedo by North Korea. What is becoming apparent, however, is that the JIG’s investigation was very hastily conducted and sloppy. These additional findings magnify the need to conduct new scientific analysis for each of the different substances found in various places on the hull.
The Defense Ministry expressed distrust, claiming that Jeong’s analysis did not meet the necessary conditions, such as the sample being opened with representatives from the ministry in attendance. It also said it has no plans to conduct additional experiments.
This attitude from the ministry is problematic. If the ministry simply attempts to bury the questions, this will only lead to further criticism of the JIG and the Lee Myung-bak administration.
Now more than ever, it is necessary to find out the exact truth about the Cheonan’s sinking, no matter how long it takes. One effective means of doing so would be for Jeong and scientists from the JIG to work together to analyze the different substances from the hull one more time. We hope the Defense Ministry will change its stance. It may also be prudent for the National Assembly to take responsibility for supervising the process.
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_editorial/449616.html
Y
Yip Hon
Guest
>
Business Times - 24 Nov 2010
Korean shelling leaves Asian markets shocked
Stocks plunge as conflict unfolds but some say correction overdue anyway
By JAMIE LEE
(SINGAPORE) Asian markets ran for cover yesterday as fresh attacks by North Korea on its estranged sibling stirred fears of an escalated conflict.
But market watchers view the latest hit on South Korea as a catalyst for market correction, as Asian markets draw greater liquidity as a result of the quantitative easing exercise by the US.
North Korea yesterday showered some 200 artillery shells on South Korea's Yeonpyeong island, situated close to the two countries' western border, leading to at least two soldiers killed and about 20 soldiers and civilians injured, media reports said.
No explanation was given for the attack - the most abrasive in two decades, and coming days after North Korea unveiled a once-secret uranium nuclear programme at a time when Kim Jong-il's third son, Kim Jong-un, is expected to soon take over.
Political friction has also rubbed the two countries raw this year after the sinking of a South Korean warship in March that the US and its allies blamed on a torpedo attack.
South Korea has returned fire and dispatched several F-16 fighter jets to the area. The government has raised the state of military readiness to the highest level after a declaration of war, while the Bank of Korea convened an emergency meeting with other government officials in the war bunker of the presidential office yesterday.
The markets of Singapore and Hong Kong were among the worst hit. The Straits Times Index fell to its lowest in a month, down 2.03 per cent to finish at 3,126.30 points.
The Hang Seng Index - which has already been rattled by anticipation of new government policies to cool the property market - dropped 2.67 per cent to 22,896.14 points, its lowest since end-September.
The Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.94 per cent to end at 2,828.28 points, while the Nikkei 225 bucked the trend, edging up 0.93 per cent to finish at 10,115.19 points.
Trading on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index - which closed 0.79 per cent down at 1,928.94 points - ended before the blitz of news on the attack came through.
The South Korean won fell sharply against the US dollar, with the one-month non-deliverable contracts for the won plunging as much as 5 per cent - the most in more than two years. Bond futures also sank, with the three-year contract slipping 0.2 per cent, the most since Nov 5, Bloomberg data showed.
'It's an excuse for the markets to correct,' said Christopher Wong, fund manager at Aberdeen Asset Management, noting that scepticism over the Irish 80-90 billion euro (S$140.8-158.4 billion) bailout plan could have also dampened sentiment here.
But Carol Fong, CEO of CIMB Securities, said that the Asian markets tend to react more adversely to events closer to home.
'The situation in Korea, being closer to Asia, is a wake-up call that external events can very quickly turn positive sentiment into a negative one.' she said.
'The Asian markets have been going up the last few weeks on liquidity inflows and the brighter prospects of Asia versus the US and Europe.'
Market watchers are waiting to see how tensions would swing in this saga, with Chan Tuck Sing, executive director of UOB-Kay Hian, saying that the move could be a mere one-day affair if tensions ebb.
'We still need to wait for Bank of Korea's reaction to this event to assess future impact on the FX markets,' said Barclays Capital strategist Kumar Rachapudi.
One institutional broker quipped: 'We'll watch the next 24 hours. It'll take some 24 hours to mobilise the army.'
Copyright © 2010 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.
Business Times - 24 Nov 2010
Korean shelling leaves Asian markets shocked
Stocks plunge as conflict unfolds but some say correction overdue anyway
By JAMIE LEE
(SINGAPORE) Asian markets ran for cover yesterday as fresh attacks by North Korea on its estranged sibling stirred fears of an escalated conflict.
But market watchers view the latest hit on South Korea as a catalyst for market correction, as Asian markets draw greater liquidity as a result of the quantitative easing exercise by the US.
North Korea yesterday showered some 200 artillery shells on South Korea's Yeonpyeong island, situated close to the two countries' western border, leading to at least two soldiers killed and about 20 soldiers and civilians injured, media reports said.
No explanation was given for the attack - the most abrasive in two decades, and coming days after North Korea unveiled a once-secret uranium nuclear programme at a time when Kim Jong-il's third son, Kim Jong-un, is expected to soon take over.
Political friction has also rubbed the two countries raw this year after the sinking of a South Korean warship in March that the US and its allies blamed on a torpedo attack.
South Korea has returned fire and dispatched several F-16 fighter jets to the area. The government has raised the state of military readiness to the highest level after a declaration of war, while the Bank of Korea convened an emergency meeting with other government officials in the war bunker of the presidential office yesterday.
The markets of Singapore and Hong Kong were among the worst hit. The Straits Times Index fell to its lowest in a month, down 2.03 per cent to finish at 3,126.30 points.
The Hang Seng Index - which has already been rattled by anticipation of new government policies to cool the property market - dropped 2.67 per cent to 22,896.14 points, its lowest since end-September.
The Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.94 per cent to end at 2,828.28 points, while the Nikkei 225 bucked the trend, edging up 0.93 per cent to finish at 10,115.19 points.
Trading on the Korea Composite Stock Price Index - which closed 0.79 per cent down at 1,928.94 points - ended before the blitz of news on the attack came through.
The South Korean won fell sharply against the US dollar, with the one-month non-deliverable contracts for the won plunging as much as 5 per cent - the most in more than two years. Bond futures also sank, with the three-year contract slipping 0.2 per cent, the most since Nov 5, Bloomberg data showed.
'It's an excuse for the markets to correct,' said Christopher Wong, fund manager at Aberdeen Asset Management, noting that scepticism over the Irish 80-90 billion euro (S$140.8-158.4 billion) bailout plan could have also dampened sentiment here.
But Carol Fong, CEO of CIMB Securities, said that the Asian markets tend to react more adversely to events closer to home.
'The situation in Korea, being closer to Asia, is a wake-up call that external events can very quickly turn positive sentiment into a negative one.' she said.
'The Asian markets have been going up the last few weeks on liquidity inflows and the brighter prospects of Asia versus the US and Europe.'
Market watchers are waiting to see how tensions would swing in this saga, with Chan Tuck Sing, executive director of UOB-Kay Hian, saying that the move could be a mere one-day affair if tensions ebb.
'We still need to wait for Bank of Korea's reaction to this event to assess future impact on the FX markets,' said Barclays Capital strategist Kumar Rachapudi.
One institutional broker quipped: 'We'll watch the next 24 hours. It'll take some 24 hours to mobilise the army.'
Copyright © 2010 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. All rights reserved.
All the 154th papers proclaimed that the world had entered its golden period just before the bank collapse,triggering off the biggest fall out in the World.
U.S. President Barack Obama returns to the White House in Washington, November 23, 2010, following a daytrip to Kokomo, Indiana. Obama is expected to call South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak following an artillery attack by North Korea on a South Korean island earlier on Tuesday.
A South Korean resident extinguishes a fire at a house on Yeonpyeong island, South Korea, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010. North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire Tuesday after the North shelled an island near their disputed sea border, killing at least two South Korean marines, setting dozens of buildings ablaze and sending civilians fleeing for shelter.
A resident of Yeonpyeong Island, who evacuated from the island by a fishing boat, answers a reporter's question at Incheon Port in Incheon, west of Seoul November 23, 2010. North Korea fired scores of artillery shells at the South Korean island on Tuesday, killing two soldiers, in one of the heaviest attacks on its neighbour since the Korean War ended in 1953. The barrage -- the South fired back and sent a fighter jet to the area -- was close to a disputed maritime border on the west of the divided peninsula and the scene of deadly clashes in the past.
I am in Seoul now on business
I am in Seoul now on business. The people of Seoul are not in panic, I was in gym and everyone watch football or variety show. No one switch to news about arty incident. The street full of people doing their business.
I would like to see north arty Seoul, that will show me what is south korean like, sparta or gay.
I also can tell my boss to fly me back in that case. I did not want to come in first place.it is going to get very cold soon.
I am in Seoul now on business. The people of Seoul are not in panic, I was in gym and everyone watch football or variety show. No one switch to news about arty incident. The street full of people doing their business.
I would like to see north arty Seoul, that will show me what is south korean like, sparta or gay.
I also can tell my boss to fly me back in that case. I did not want to come in first place.it is going to get very cold soon.
Rumor – Kim Jung Il Dead – Can Explain North Korean Attack
Posted on November 23, 2010 by Yohay
Filed Under Forex Bits | 8 Comments
Gerry Davies reports that there’s a rumor about the death of North Korean leader Kim Jung Il. This could explain why North Korea attacked South Korea with shells, killing a few people. Kim Jung Il’s heir, Kim Jong-un, might want to show that the North is still strong and that there’s a new guy in town by initiating this severe border clash.
This could also come on the background of a new uranium enrichment facility discovered in North Korea. The South Korean political elite is hiding in underground bunkers. The Korean central bank held an emergency meeting after the attack.
Note that this is only a rumor and that it hasn’t been confirmed. At the time of writing, the North Koreans haven’t commented on the incident, while all the world is talking about it, and there are already calls from Washington, Beijing and Moskow to defuse the situation. A full scale war is definitely unwanted, especially with North Korea’s nuclear arms.
Update, 11:45 GMT: North Korea claims that the incident in the island of Yeonpyeong was a response to the big naval exercise made by South Korea and the US. The American 7th fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan is in a state of alert. The Japanese want a firm military response. This is the second North Korean offensive this year. In March, a North-Korean torpedo sank the “Cheonan” – a South Korean vessel, killing 46 sailors.
Kim Jung Il has been sick for quite some time, and has avoided public appearances. Some of his official pictures from important events seem to have been heavily-”photoshopped”.
<object width="416" height="374" classid="clsid
27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="ep"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed_edition&videoId=world/2010/11/23/grant.korea.attacked.cnn" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed_edition&videoId=world/2010/11/23/grant.korea.attacked.cnn" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="416" wmode="transparent" height="374"></embed></object>
Posted on November 23, 2010 by Yohay
Filed Under Forex Bits | 8 Comments
Gerry Davies reports that there’s a rumor about the death of North Korean leader Kim Jung Il. This could explain why North Korea attacked South Korea with shells, killing a few people. Kim Jung Il’s heir, Kim Jong-un, might want to show that the North is still strong and that there’s a new guy in town by initiating this severe border clash.
This could also come on the background of a new uranium enrichment facility discovered in North Korea. The South Korean political elite is hiding in underground bunkers. The Korean central bank held an emergency meeting after the attack.
Note that this is only a rumor and that it hasn’t been confirmed. At the time of writing, the North Koreans haven’t commented on the incident, while all the world is talking about it, and there are already calls from Washington, Beijing and Moskow to defuse the situation. A full scale war is definitely unwanted, especially with North Korea’s nuclear arms.
Update, 11:45 GMT: North Korea claims that the incident in the island of Yeonpyeong was a response to the big naval exercise made by South Korea and the US. The American 7th fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan is in a state of alert. The Japanese want a firm military response. This is the second North Korean offensive this year. In March, a North-Korean torpedo sank the “Cheonan” – a South Korean vessel, killing 46 sailors.
Kim Jung Il has been sick for quite some time, and has avoided public appearances. Some of his official pictures from important events seem to have been heavily-”photoshopped”.
<object width="416" height="374" classid="clsid
27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" id="ep"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="movie" value="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed_edition&videoId=world/2010/11/23/grant.korea.attacked.cnn" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed_edition&videoId=world/2010/11/23/grant.korea.attacked.cnn" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="416" wmode="transparent" height="374"></embed></object>
Last edited:
This picture shows the front pages of Japan's morning newspapers in Tokyo on November 24, 2010 of the country's reaction to North Korea's shelling of a South Korean island the day before. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan said on November 23 he has ordered his ministers to prepare for any eventuality after North Korea fired artillery shells on to a South Korean island.
A South Korean naval ship leaves port at Incheon, South Korea on its way to take personnel to their base at Yeonpyeong Island, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010. North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire Tuesday along their disputed frontier, raising tensions between the rivals to their highest level in more than a decade.
By Kim Jae-won
South Koreans showed strong signs of ambivalence about North Korea’s artillery strike on Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea near the inter-Korean maritime border, Tuesday.
Many of them expressed anger at what was seen as an unprovoked act of aggression that killed two ROK Marines inside their garrison. But others said that they didn’t want it to escalate further into a full-fledged war.
During street interviews yesterday evening, hours after the strike, people were well aware of the attacks.
“I think President Lee Myung-bak is reacting too cautiously,” Hong Seok-woo, 24, a female store clerk in Choongmu-ro, said. “I guess he is afraid the North Korea firing will affect our economic stability.” President Lee instructed the military to do its best not to let the provocation escalate.
Hong added that she did not want the situation to worsen and the last thing she wanted was another full-fledged war on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea invaded South Korea, triggering the 1950-1953 Korean War that ended in a truce.
A civil servant who was passing Choongmu-ro Station criticized the North, saying the Stalinist regime was “crazy” to attack civilians.
“How could they fire at civilians?” Jung Ki-hwan said. “They don’t have respect for human rights.”
The 24-year-old speculated that the attack was aimed at propping up the status of the new heir in North Korea.
“The North obviously wanted to show how tough Kim Jung-un, the third and youngest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, can be,” he said.
“I am very sorry that some young Marines were killed.”
A 51-year-old street cleaner accused the government of giving a chance for the North to attack.
“The government seems to be incapable of protecting us. It lacks systemic manuals for emergency situations,” the cleaner said on condition of anonymity, adding his employer may not like the comment.
A pharmacist said the government should get even with the North, calling the country a “mad dog” and called for a strong military reaction.
“We should get back at them. We have been so soft to them. We should give back what we have got,” said Lee Kwang-ho, 74, who served his military service in a region of Chungcheong Province for three years.
[email protected]
South Koreans showed strong signs of ambivalence about North Korea’s artillery strike on Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea near the inter-Korean maritime border, Tuesday.
Many of them expressed anger at what was seen as an unprovoked act of aggression that killed two ROK Marines inside their garrison. But others said that they didn’t want it to escalate further into a full-fledged war.
During street interviews yesterday evening, hours after the strike, people were well aware of the attacks.
“I think President Lee Myung-bak is reacting too cautiously,” Hong Seok-woo, 24, a female store clerk in Choongmu-ro, said. “I guess he is afraid the North Korea firing will affect our economic stability.” President Lee instructed the military to do its best not to let the provocation escalate.
Hong added that she did not want the situation to worsen and the last thing she wanted was another full-fledged war on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea invaded South Korea, triggering the 1950-1953 Korean War that ended in a truce.
A civil servant who was passing Choongmu-ro Station criticized the North, saying the Stalinist regime was “crazy” to attack civilians.
“How could they fire at civilians?” Jung Ki-hwan said. “They don’t have respect for human rights.”
The 24-year-old speculated that the attack was aimed at propping up the status of the new heir in North Korea.
“The North obviously wanted to show how tough Kim Jung-un, the third and youngest son of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, can be,” he said.
“I am very sorry that some young Marines were killed.”
A 51-year-old street cleaner accused the government of giving a chance for the North to attack.
“The government seems to be incapable of protecting us. It lacks systemic manuals for emergency situations,” the cleaner said on condition of anonymity, adding his employer may not like the comment.
A pharmacist said the government should get even with the North, calling the country a “mad dog” and called for a strong military reaction.
“We should get back at them. We have been so soft to them. We should give back what we have got,” said Lee Kwang-ho, 74, who served his military service in a region of Chungcheong Province for three years.
[email protected]
.
President Lee Myung-bak ordered the military to strike a North Korean missile base near the inter-Korean border in the West Sea if the communist country shows signs of further military provocation following its artillery attack on a South Korean island, a presidential aide said.
Lee also called for “multiple-fold retaliation” against the artillery attack during an emergency meeting with security-related ministers and military commanders, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung.
“Lee told military commanders that we should strike North Korea’s missile base near the border if there in a clear indication of further provocation,” Kim told reporters.
Lee convened the security meeting in the underground bunker at the presidential complex immediately after he was told about the artillery attack.
After the meeting, he visited the headquarters of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul to discuss the situation.
Earlier in the day, Seoul vowed a firm response to the attack on Yeonpyeong Island, saying it will collaborate with the international community to deal with the act of aggression.
“North Korea fired shells at even civilians. It’s intolerable,” Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement, read by senior presidential secretary for public relations Hong Sang-pyo. “It should take full responsibility for the assault.”
“Our military fired back in accordance with engagement rules and will respond resolutely to any further attacks by the communist country,” the statement said.
Hong said Seoul will cooperate closely with allies and the United Nations to handle the aftermath of the incident.
He didn’t rule out possible military action against North Korea, saying all available countermeasures will be discussed.
Earlier, spokeswoman Kim told reporters that the North’s attack might have come in retaliation to a South Korean naval exercise, which was underway near the Western sea border.
“Our Navy was conducting a maritime exercise there today. North Korea sent a letter of protest over the drill,” Kim said.
Participants in the emergency meeting included Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Unification Minister Hyun In-taek, Defense Minister Kim Tae-young and Won Sei-hoon, chief of the National Intelligence Service.
President Lee Myung-bak ordered the military to strike a North Korean missile base near the inter-Korean border in the West Sea if the communist country shows signs of further military provocation following its artillery attack on a South Korean island, a presidential aide said.
Lee also called for “multiple-fold retaliation” against the artillery attack during an emergency meeting with security-related ministers and military commanders, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung.
“Lee told military commanders that we should strike North Korea’s missile base near the border if there in a clear indication of further provocation,” Kim told reporters.
Lee convened the security meeting in the underground bunker at the presidential complex immediately after he was told about the artillery attack.
After the meeting, he visited the headquarters of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul to discuss the situation.
Earlier in the day, Seoul vowed a firm response to the attack on Yeonpyeong Island, saying it will collaborate with the international community to deal with the act of aggression.
“North Korea fired shells at even civilians. It’s intolerable,” Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement, read by senior presidential secretary for public relations Hong Sang-pyo. “It should take full responsibility for the assault.”
“Our military fired back in accordance with engagement rules and will respond resolutely to any further attacks by the communist country,” the statement said.
Hong said Seoul will cooperate closely with allies and the United Nations to handle the aftermath of the incident.
He didn’t rule out possible military action against North Korea, saying all available countermeasures will be discussed.
Earlier, spokeswoman Kim told reporters that the North’s attack might have come in retaliation to a South Korean naval exercise, which was underway near the Western sea border.
“Our Navy was conducting a maritime exercise there today. North Korea sent a letter of protest over the drill,” Kim said.
Participants in the emergency meeting included Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Unification Minister Hyun In-taek, Defense Minister Kim Tae-young and Won Sei-hoon, chief of the National Intelligence Service.
Similar threads
