S.Korea Island Residents Told To Move To Bunkers

[Purveyor]

Source: REUTERS

Dec 20 (Reuters) - South Korean marines have ordered residents of Yeonpyeong island to move to air raid bunkers in anticipation of a live-fire drill on Monday.

North Korea has threatened to strike if the South went ahead with the drill from the island off the Korean peninsula's west coast and in disputed waters between the rival Koreas.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTOE6BJ00720101220

[Earth_First]

1. Hmmm...

Hopefully calmer egos prevail here...

[EmilyKent]

2. It's already 10:23 am Monday in Korea.

[Brickbat]

3. A friend there says it's expected to start in 40 minutes, 9 p.m. EST.

[EmilyKent]

5. Well, S Korea could stop it.

Poking your neighbour with a sharp stick is never a good idea.

[Imajika]

6. Or, maybe North Korea could stop launching live shells...

...on its neighbor?

South Korea has every right to conduct military exercises in its own territory and in international waters. North Korea is just crying for attention per the norm. The North is a communist basketcase and is desperate for more food and fuel aid so it pulls these stunts as a sort of temper tantrum. If the South rewards the tantrum, they'll just get more of the same.

[EmilyKent]

13. Ownership is disputed.

So it isn't S Korean territory.

Don't provoke people when you don't have to...especially a neighbour with a hair trigger.

[Imajika]

16. Err, yeah, disputed by North Korea...

The UN says otherwise.

North Korea's claims in regard to the Northern Limit Line are simply not to be taken seriously. Were the South to give on this, North Korea would just aggressively push on something else. These are NK tantrums and if you don't stand reasonably strong against them NK will just come back for more.

[EmilyKent]

17. And they have every right to do so.

Yes, the claims are to be taken seriously.

Haven't enough lines been drawn in the sand to suit you?

[Imajika]

18. The UN says otherwise...

"Haven't enough lines been drawn in the sand to suit you?"

What are you talking about? Nations have borders and have every right to live fire drill within them.

North Korea is just acting out the way it is prone to do. They want food and fuel aid to help bail out their basketcase economy. If SK gives in to this latest temper tantrum, NK will just cause trouble somewhere else.

[EmilyKent]

20. America loves to go to war.

And any excuse will do.

Couple of years in, you're screaming to get out...but somehow you never remember that.

N Korea is disputing it...simple as that. What the UN said years ago is irrelevant.

[Imajika]

23. America most certainly doesn't want to go to war...

...on the Korean peninsula, and neither does South Korea.

What the UN says does matter on this issue. Anyone can dispute anything, but that doesn't mean they have a legitimate point.

"What the UN said years ago is irrelevant."

All those years ago = just 11 years ago which is the last time the UN issued a statement on the issue. And why would you say the UN is irrelevant? I expect to read stuff like that on right wing sites, but not on progressive forums that usually look to the world body to deal with these sorts of matters.

By your twisted logic North Korea could "dispute" the entire DMZ and claim Seoul as their own. Should South Korea just stand down and accept such a "dispute" as serious?

North Korea is the problem here, not South Korea or America.

[EmilyKent]

24. Of course it does.

Kirk: Well, there it is - war. We didn't want it, but we've got it.

Spock: It is curious how often you humans manage to obtain that which you do not want.

Errand of Mercy

[Name removed]

25. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RZM]

28. Oh please

Nobody wants war on the Korean peninsula. Not China, not the US, not South Korea, and definitely not North Korea.

[EmilyKent]

29. Then stop the 'exercises' and provocation.

[RZM]

134. I don't think you're going to believe otherwise

But this isn't a provocation. The South doesn't want war. Some people do, but most don't. Sadly, part of the reason for that is many in the South don't want reunification either, at least not a 'shock' process like Germany went through in the early 1990s. The Korean version would be far more difficult and costly.

You don't allow bullies to get away with intimidating you. If it were just the North doing exercises, nobody would care. But the North has KILLED people this year -- you have to stand up or the North will just ramp up the intimidation.

[Posteritatis]

138. Are you seriously saying North Korea has every right to fire on South Korean civilians?

I know there's a North Korea fan club on this site, remembering the people who think that their constitution actually means anything there, but Jesus Christ.

[MilesColtrane]

30. North Korea doesn't recognize the ROK as a legitimate government.

According to them, the entire peninsula is their rightful sovereign territory

Pretty much the entire rest of the world disagrees with that assessment.

[EmilyKent]

31. Well let's have a nuclear war about it.

And then sort through all the bodies afterwards to determine who's right.

[CJvR]

7. Chamberlains ghost!

Nice to see that the spirit of surrender and appeasment when faced with threats isn't dead.

Stop trying to pretend that the NORKs have a case here. Holding an excesise in your own territory isn't poking anyone. Firing torpedoes at ships and artillery barrages over the border is something else - and it is the NORKs who are doing that.

If a war starts in Korea it wont start when the ROK fires back.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. On a highly technical note

the war never stopped. It will be when the armistice breaks. Firing shells over somebody else's territory is also an act of war.

I have no idea who ignored is, but I guess he\she wants this to stop and the south to play nice...

[CJvR]

10. You can't...

...blame the ROKs for not bending over backwards to deal with their rabid cousins. The NORKs torpedoed and sank a ROK ship, wars have started (or since you are picky ceasefires) over far weaker casus belli than that, remember the Maine.

Sooner or later someone is going to have to tell the brat up north "NO!" and the sooner that happens the better since every earlier surrender and retreat will only make the NORKs more convinced they can get what they want by threats and more likely to escalate a confrontation. If you have backed down a dozen times you really dont have much deterrence credibility left - and that is when things go boom.

[madrchsod]

11. so far china has`t been able to talk the north down....

[EmilyKent]

15. China could take N Korea weaponry out in seconds.

But it's doubtful things will get to that point.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. I am not blaming the south

am I?

[EmilyKent]

14. And a million people dead will sure show THEM!

Right? :eyes:

Course it could be a million of your own people....but what the hey?

[Lurks Often]

19. Since you're the expert

You're South Korea, North Korea has sunk one of your ships and shelled one of your islands killing some of your military. So where do you drawn the line and decide enough is enough?

Please, enlighten us with your wisdom.

[EmilyKent]

21. Oh, am I? I thought it was common sense.

If you have a crazy neighbour, you don't deliberately set him off.

Kim Jong-il is dying. Let him.

[christx30]

26. If your crazy neighbor

is shooting over the fence and kills one of your pets, you just back away and hope he doesn't do anything else to do?

[EmilyKent]

27. Why no, first you sic your dogs on him

and then claim to be the victim of whatever follows.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. not good

[Lucinda]

8. yup....way not good

[Lucinda]

22. BBC article

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12033330

Looks like it got pushed back two hours due to fog ~ but it is still green lighted.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. South Korea to begin exercises near border with North

Source: BBC



The South Korean military will begin live-firing exercises on an island close to the border with North Korea in the coming hours, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The move comes despite repeated threats of retaliation from Pyongyang.

Four people were killed when the North shelled the island during an earlier drill last month.

The UN Security Council has been discussing the situation in New York, but has failed to reach any agreement.

Speaking to reporters after more than eight hours of discussions, Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin called on South Korea to cancel its plans.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12033330

---

Not good, This is NOT GOOD AT ALL.

[Skip Intro]

33. No, it isn't, but I don't see SK's backing down in the face of threats as good either.

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. There is that, but why am I having a sense of... the guns of august?

All them interlocking alliances and all that.

Hope for the best on this one.

[Skip Intro]

35. Hoping for the best as well, this could spiral out of control quickly.

[RZM]

44. I'm not sure that analogy works

N. Korea has only one ally. While China is quite keen on preventing a sudden collapse of the N. Korean regime, they will not go to war to save it. If worst comes to worst, they'll cut N. Korea loose and deal with whatever heppens. They might work very hard to prevent war, but they won't get involved if it does happen. The N. Korean regime knows that if there is a war, they will be going it alone.

[julian09]

40. Backing down isn't an option

After losing a ship and civilians to the North, South Korea can't continue to look the other way.
Giving in to threats, will encourage the North and Iran as well to continue that blackmail.

[BenzoDia]

41. Agreed. If the South backs down now, what will the North do next?

Hopefully something will materialize that both sides can use to back down and still save face.

[Bobbieo]

36. What will be the US involvement in this Korean mess?

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. Interlocking alliances and we have 28K troops

in the field RIGHT NOW.

[EvilMonk]

39. Good question.

Two possibilities:

!. Iran

2. North Korea

One of them pops off and attempts to blow People's Glorious Revolution/Holy Execution of Great Satan all over Europe's and/or the Middle East's face.

We respond in kind by going to complete and no-kidding War. Our allies would have to as well due to many a treaty (NATO/UN) and they would necessarily have to drop other less "convenient" things to comply. Like say:

The EU.

Germany would LOVE to stop paying for everyone else right about now. Their polling shows a high degree of anger over being held financially responsible for a crash they they largely didn't create. They would simply say "Sorry guys, we have to go. It's been fun, see ya!" and their exit from the EU would prompt the same from other countries as well. Britain would take the hint as would France. One by one they would slowly begin to just go away leaving behind the less fiscally sound countries to fend for themselves. Anarchy and unrest will prevail here.

Eventually (soon after), someone would do something stupid, and I'm betting money on someone of the Spanish persuasion that also just so happens to be an extremist adherent to the Religion of Faith TM.

This would create a whole new issue in Europe (remember kids, all our BEST Wars have come from Europe. Even Vietnam; thanks France!) that would spiral into it's own separate War and with that we will arrive at:

World War III

At least we would be have the brand new feature of being on Germany's side this time! They would be the target of this attack/assassination and we kinda like them these days,so...

Sorry. It's just what I see coming. That's what America will be dealing with sooner rather than later. Obama will be a great War President though. I'm not even kidding. He is not afraid to pull the trigger. He never has been.

So, have a great day!

[PearliePoo2]

37. We've got like 30,000 + troops in S. Korea

Do you think they are on high alert at this moment?
What will the US response be if the shells start flying?

[nadinbrzezinski]

42. Yes, they are on alert

they got live ammo in their rifles, and have ROE... according to CNN it is hot, you can bet a certain POTUS is in the Situation Room, the real one, right now.

[earthside]

43. Complete stupidity.

Conducting "live-firing exercises on an island close to the border with North Korea" is just plain provocative ... it is the kind of "not backing down" stupidity that could start a war that gets thousands if not millions of people killed.

There are many other places to have exercise that would prove South Korea/U.S.A. will not be intimidated -- doing this kind of stuff is going to provoke a reaction from an unstable regime -- but the military mind is so thick that it thinks this is a good idea.

This is exactly the kind of action that starts wars -- the South Korean military and its masters in the Pentagon should call this off -- its not worth the risk.

[nadinbrzezinski]

45. (URGENT) S. Korea begins live-fire artillery drills from island near N. Korea (END)

Source: YonhapNews\ English

(URGENT) S. Korea begins live-fire artillery drills from island near N. Korea

(END)

And now from BBC

South Korea begins exercises near border with North

North Korea has condemned the plans to hold new exercises on Yeonpyeong island


The South Korean military has begun live-firing exercises on an island close to the border with North Korea, its defence ministry says.

The move comes despite repeated threats of retaliation from Pyongyang.

Four people were killed when the North shelled the island during an earlier drill last month.

The UN Security Council has been discussing the situation in New York, but has failed to reach any agreement.

Speaking to reporters after more than eight hours of discussions, Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin called on South Korea to cancel its plans.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12033330

Read more: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/national/2010/12/20/21/0301000000AEN20101220001700315F.HTML

---

This is breaking, I expect CNN and the rest to catch up, expected to last up to two hours, through Twitter.

More as it develops...

To Admins... this is BREAKING and that's it's from the link.

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. Damn I am getting live updates now on twitter

W7VOA

Yonhap: 2 #ROK destroyers forward deployed in Yellow Sea. AFP: #ROK Air Force readied in case of #DPRK attack. #Koreas
about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck
Reply Retweet
Top Tweet 54 Retweets

W7VOA
#ROK military says shells aiming SW away from #DPRK. #Koreas
2 minutes ago via TweetDeck
8 Retweets

TomLasseter
Key to what happens today is how North Korea interprets this RT @W7VOA: #ROK military says shells aiming SW away from #DPRK. #Koreas
less than a minute ago via TweetDeck

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nadinbrzezinski]

48. CNN to go live on breaking news per twitter

rosemaryCNN Rosemary Church
5 mins to air: Starting with breaking news on the 2 Koreas. We'll broadcast 2 our sister network CNN-USA as well. Standby!

[alex cross]

49. OMG, look at this twit, or tweet or what ever!

vmayfy まくろ　くろすけ
韓国軍、延坪島沖で射撃訓練を始める　米軍２０人も参加　半島情勢が再び緊迫 http://bit.ly/ib6Deq
2 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

まくろ　くろすけ
@vmayfy 東京都渋谷区
ろーにんなう/政治成分が結構多いです。最近音ゲーやってます。東方も少し。かつてはルナシューターだったらしいです。フォローリムーブご自由に


http://twitter.com/#!/vmayfy

We're doomed!

[Name removed]

50. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tess49]

54. Why do you hang around? n/t

[Name removed]

61. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tess49]

68. Actually, I'm interested in this story. If you think it's silly, find

a thread more to your liking.

[Name removed]

73. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[gateley]

55. Seriously, if it upsets or bothers you, why do you hang around snarking on a

thread you don't like?

Do you think we're going be swayed by your wisdom and fall in line?

One post gets your point across. More than that, it's tiresome.

[Name removed]

58. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Frisbee]

57. I agree, everything is just peachy...

:sarcasm:

And BTW, "We are always doomed" is a bit of a stretch, but if you don't think things are pretty f---ed up, you're either not paying attention or should probably find a new place to hang, becuase most at DU are not oblivious to the f---ed up state of the world.

[EmilyKent]

59. Peachy, no. But it's the same as it's always been.

At least these days it's only minor brush fires, not WWIII we have to contend with.

[Frisbee]

62. Thank God WWI...

or any other war never started from a "brush fire" or misunderstanding. The ONLY reassuring thing I see from this is that China is not seeming to be backing NK unconditionally. But if you don't think this couldn't somehow spiral out of control, you are sadly mistaken.

[EmilyKent]

64. China can take out NK weapons in seconds.

This is neither WWI or II. Just another brush fire.

[Frisbee]

70. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on this...

and you will probably be right in the end, my only point is that the POTENTIAL is there for this to spiral out of control.

[Name removed]

72. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HEyHEY]

77. Meh

I live in Beijing and I'm not the least bit concerned. Frankly, China is just as tired of NK as the rest of the region. They won't be helping them out.

[Frisbee]

79. I agree with that...

and that is the sole bright spot in this mess. But that doesn't mean that NK won't do something stupid regardless. Rationality has not been their strong point for a long time.

Edited to add: I doubt that under any circunstances Beijing would be a target.

[Name removed]

80. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

69. And she kicks it again!

7 replies on a thread beneath her contempt. Odd.

[Name removed]

74. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[sirthomas66]

115. It is nowhere near the way it has always been--

[EmilyKent]

118. More likely you were unaware of it.

[sirthomas66]

127. Yes, I can see your bulletin board experience has made you an

expert on international crises. The world may not be ending; the US is however. Iraq was the US's Parthia. NK may shoot off a nuke or two, but they quickly will be turned into a sheet of glass. Christmas? Ha!

[nadinbrzezinski]

128. I know I should not be smiling but I am

you will get this too... since you make those classic references.

The Rubicon is not ahead of the US... it is well behind.

[sirthomas66]

130. Yes, my lady. I know. Good night.

[EmilyKent]

131. Yes, the Rubicon has been crossed.

Long ago.

[EmilyKent]

129. What's a bulletin board?

[MilesColtrane]

120. You're the one who implied that this would lead to nuclear war.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4666197&mesg_id=4666449

Make up your mind.

[EmilyKent]

121. LOL no I didn't.

I said if you don't want a nuclear war, stop provoking people. It isn't worth it.

[MilesColtrane]

123. You are clearly insane.

Welcome to Ignoreville. Population: You

[EmilyKent]

125. Ahhh amateur psychology.

Never listen to someone who disagrees with you. You might learn something that way.

Best to plug your ears.

[gateley]

60. That's pretty funny! (Don't know if was meant to be, but I found it so.) nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

51. CNN on

[gateley]

52. Just got the CNN Breaking News e-mail about 20 minutes ago, and I usually learn

about stuff on DU first. My TRUE news source.

Thank you for posting htis.

[nadinbrzezinski]

71. Was monitoring the tweeter

it is a wash, usually... but when breaking nooz is pretty good.

[Poll_Blind]

53. Per Al-Jazeera F-15's scrambled by SK, 2 SK destroyers moved up coast LIVE LINK:

JustinTV

Top right is CNN.

Top left is MSNBC- which cuts to Al-Jazeera as necessary. Al-Jazeera has a reporter in Seoul via live video link they're going to back and forth.

PB

[gateley]

56. Thanks. I can't get my brother to switch from an old Gregory Peck Western. nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

63. I got CNN on, and will be doing the dance, including the

Twitter.

VOA reporter in the front lines, tweeting.

[Hardrada]

65. My CNN is going on about how to buy budget Christmas gifts.

[Poll_Blind]

66. How can I get ahold of that VOA action?

Thanks!

PB

[nadinbrzezinski]

82. tweeter, search #koreas

[Poll_Blind]

84. Much thanks! n/t

PB

[nadinbrzezinski]

85. You welcome, him and the reuters guys

are wroth 100 CNNs....

RT @W7VOA: Based on statements leading up to today's drill, #DPRK signaled it would retaliate at time and place of its choosing. #Koreas

[nadinbrzezinski]

67. VIA Tweeter VOA, on fighters

JRGGZMN JORGE GUZMAN

:/ RT @W7VOA: #ROK Defense Ministry: Jet fighters in the air on alert. #Koreas
from Piedmont Addition, Dallas
3 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[nadinbrzezinski]

75. Per CNN this is the URL they will be updating

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/12/20/koreas.tensions/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[nadinbrzezinski]

76. From the tweeter

realize tweeter has to be taken with grain of salt, even if some folks are actual reporters...

W7VOA Steve Herman
by Yanee_tvthai
AP: Farmers living near western edge of DMZ moved out of their homes until after artillery drill. #Koreas
1 hour ago Favorite Retweet Reply

[nadinbrzezinski]

78. Drills have concluded

BreakingNews Breaking News
South Korea ends live-fire drill from Yeonpyeong Island, AP and Reuters report, citing Yonhap News
5 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

It takes the AP a while

SKorea ends firing drills from border island
By HYUNG-JIN KIM and AHN YOUNG-JOON
Associated Press




YEONPYEONG ISLAND, South Korea (AP) -- Yonhap news agency says South Korea has ended maritime artillery drills from a front-line island attacked last month by North Korea.

South Korea said it launched fighter jets to deter any North Korean attacks during the hour-long drills on Yeonpyeong. There were no immediate signs of any North Korean retaliation.

The island was shelled by the North after similar drills last month. Two marines and two civilians were killed.

The North considers the waters around Yeonpyeong its territory and has threatened to retaliate for any new drills

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_KOREAS_CLASH?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=HOME

[EmilyKent]

81. And the world goes on.

[uppityperson]

83. Wow! 2 minutes later and you've called it! Incredible! How EVER did we get by without you here

thanks for another kick

[Name removed]

86. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[uppityperson]

87. I think you must not understand LBN forum, what with it being news posting.

Incredible that you can call what will happen in the future based on 2 minutes passing. I stand in awe.

[EmilyKent]

90. I like news. I don't like panic over news.

It's a waste of time that gets people upset for no reason.

As to my ability to 'call the future'...what can I say? It's a gift. :rofl:

[uppityperson]

136. Thanks Mods, and it disrupted poorly.

[nadinbrzezinski]

137. I'll join you in the thanking of Mods

[nadinbrzezinski]

88. And now the wait starts

@TomLasseter
Tom Lasseter
RT @W7VOA: #ROK Pres. spokesman says entire gov't, all public servants to stay on emergency alert anticipating #DPRK counterstrike. #Koreas
4 minutes ago via TweetDeck Favorite Retweet Reply
Mentioned in this Tweet

W7VOA Steve Herman · Follow
Voice of America (VOA) Bureau Chief/Correspondent mainly covering NE Asia (Korean peninsula & Japan).
Tweets tagged with #Koreas

Why is it that CNN cannot just report on shit like this?

[AngryOldDem]

91. And some don't get why this is such a big story.

This is the equivalent of messing with dynamite.

Thanks for the updates. Is CNN International covering this, and CNN U.S. just isn't picking up the feed until American Morning starts at 7?

[nadinbrzezinski]

93. They tweeted they were

they did for about fifteen minutes and then they went back to the recorded stuff from two hours ago. I was like... CNN-I is like ON, with people awake in London.

[Arrowhead2k1]

89. Nothing will happen.

North Koreans are all kinds of crazy, but they are not suicidal.

[EmilyKent]

92. Agreed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

94. This is part of the succession

any miscalculation and it could be nasty.

They have been escalating since March as well...

[EmilyKent]

97. It's over. Move on to the next 'Armageddon'.

[AngryOldDem]

99. You are dealing with a regime.

Basically, two people who are extremely unstable. The North Korean populace is too busy starving to death to most likely care. In the end nothing may happen, but you really can't bank on that, knowing who's involved.

[nadinbrzezinski]

95. Ah interesting

@TomLasseter
Tom Lasseter
Interesting RT @W7VOA: #ROK defense ministry won't confirm drill has ended.Artillery firing still heard on Yeonpyeong by AP reporter #Koreas
5 minutes ago via TweetDeck Favorite Retweet Reply

But they said it was... I HATE WAITING for all the rumors to become actual nooz

[HEyHEY]

96. Well, they are supposed to last two hours.

[nadinbrzezinski]

98. Yep, but they were saying a while ago that they were

so we are still in the wait and see mode.

Keep your ear on Richardson, if he and Wolf leave in a hurried manner... that will be a huge clue.

[Poll_Blind]

100. Just know I believe Richardson and Blitzer are catching a plane to Beijing in a few hours, maybe...

...much sooner. I actually thought they'd be in the air by now but time difference screws me up. The timing of this particular flight was scheduled at least five hours ago, FWIW.

If Richardson hurridly boards the plane leaving Wolf behind- well, it'll be difficult to interpret that: Who wants Blitzer on their plane?

:rofl:

PB

[nadinbrzezinski]

101. He is needed back in Atlanta

:-)

Still I am surprised they took a reporter.

And you are right they were supposed to leave about now... I lost track of time.

:-(

Trying to keep up with all this crap...

[Name removed]

102. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nadinbrzezinski]

103. Well NOW we have confirmation that it's now officially ended

BCNewsAddict
RT @W7VOA: #ROK Defense Ministry confirms to VOA live-fire drill has ended & it lasted 94 minutes. #Koreas
1 minute ago via TweetDeck Favorite Retweet Reply
Mentioned in this Tweet

W7VOA Steve Herman · Follow
Voice of America (VOA) Bureau Chief/Correspondent mainly covering NE Asia (Korean peninsula & Japan).

[Name removed]

104. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[nadinbrzezinski]

105. I gotta say you are hilarious

should report you as a disruptor

By the way if you bothered to GO TO THE POSTED LINK from the S. KOREAN news service, which I am betting you never did, you'd realize that it was THEIR TONE OF URGENT... NOT MINE... you tweet.

Oh and yes, we STILL could have WW III, and things do matter even on the other side of the world.

Alas YOU are an average idiot USA American... I sugest you stick to the Lounge... not LATEST BREAKING NEWS.

Now GOOD BYE.

Oh and happy holidays and all that crap... for us Hanukah was just peachy. I hope you got a wonderful Christmas.

Shakes head as puts this idiot back on ignore. DISRUPTOR if I've ever seen one.

[EmilyKent]

106. Hi Nads..... I try to be funny on purpose.

It lightens the mood from the constant Armageddon-watch on here. Something DU is very fond of, I've noticed.

Yes, I'm aware of events in Korea, I just don't panic over them. Normal people don't you know.

The world is full of brushfires...but not everything is the end of the world.

Oh, and I'm a Brit, currently on a project in Canada. Not American at all, I'm afraid.

Happy Sir Isaac Newton's birthday...Live long and prosper, and all that.

Just don't panic. :rofl:

[Lucinda]

107. At least she managed to keep the thread kicked.

Was much easier to find that way. :) Thanks for keeping us updated!

[nadinbrzezinski]

109. And a few other posters pointed this out

you know what is sad? CNN... a joke... Tweeter, the VOA has a guy there... he is tweeting and is pretty good. Sad when you gotta rely on the tweeter.

Kudos to the AP guy and the Reuters guy as well.

[Lucinda]

113. I think CNN did as much as they did because Wolf was there...

They ran a "lighter side" piece of his which was really odd :) I doubt they would have been watching at all if Blitzer wasn't in country.

[nadinbrzezinski]

114. Well CNN-I is a whole different animal

but this is just ridiculous. We could have WW III start, and you'd never know in our wonderful country.

[Lucinda]

116. They would get around to it eventually...I think.

I rarely check our media first when anything is happening. Thankfully we have the internet(s) to keep up globally.

[nadinbrzezinski]

117. Yep, my first to go is BBC

and for this, tweeter.... #koreas, been pretty good.

[Lucinda]

122. I don't remember how long NK waited before shelling the last time

Hopefully they will realize it's not really in their best interest...Soooo much posturing in both countries makes for a messy situation. Reports out of NK were saying that SK is viewed to be a US puppet, and reports from SK were showing their citizens very angry about the lack of response last time.

Not good ground for common sense to flourish

[nadinbrzezinski]

126. It was within hours

so hoping...

[Name removed]

132. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[EmilyKent]

110. Because otherwise it would have sunk

due to lack of interest?

Nice to know.

[Poll_Blind]

108. AP: Sounds of artillery continue on SKorean island

Sounds of artillery continue on SKorean island:

YEONPYEONG ISLAND, South Korea (AP) - The sounds of artillery are still being heard on a front-line island where South Korea has been conducting live-fire drills.

Yonhap news agency had reported earlier that South Korea ended the maritime drills from the island attacked last month by North Korea. But an Associated Press photographer on the island said the sounds of firing are continuing.

:shrug:

PB

[nadinbrzezinski]

111. Yeah I know but from the Ministry they have ended

My take, they ended the Maritime drills first, and then the land based one.

Of course that is from a few tweets, let me see if anybody has an actual story that this is over.

[nadinbrzezinski]

112. Here

SKorea conducts firing drills from border island

YEONPYEONG ISLAND, South Korea – South Korea fired artillery in a 90-minute drill from a front-line island Monday and launched fighter jets to deter attacks after North Korea warned of catastrophic retaliation for the maneuvers.

There was no sign of any North Korean military response during the drill, a South Korean Defense Ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity, citing office rules. The South had evacuated hundreds of residents near its tense land border and sent residents of islands near disputed waters into underground bunkers amid soaring fears of war.

The live-fire exercises came nearly a month after the North responded to earlier maneuvers by shelling Yeonpyeong island, killing two marines and two civilians in its first attack targeting civilian areas since the 1950-53 Korean War. It had said it would respond even more harshly to any new drills from the Yellow Sea island.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101220/ap_on_re_as/as_koreas_clash

Don't you hate dynamic stories?

[AngryOldDem]

119. Trailer on CNN U.S.:

Russia warns of possible "serious conflict" within hours.

????

[nadinbrzezinski]

124. And here is BBC

War games increase Korea tension
South Korea holds live-firing exercises on an island close to the border with North Korea, despite threats of retaliation from Pyongyang.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/

They are in the process of updating am afraid

[mahina]

133. Russia presses for UN role in mediating crisis in the Koreas

From the article in Foreign Policy mag online,
http://turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/12/18/russia_pushes_deeper_un_role_in_mediating_crisis_in_the_koreas

prior:
Russian initiative to stop South Korean military exercise fails http://turtlebay.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/12/19/russian_initiative_to_stop_south_korean_military_exercise_fails

[jimmie]

135. Good luck russia

a dollar short and a day late.