Reuters: Tensions rise as North and South Korea exchange artillery fire
South Korea fired dozens of artillery rounds toward North Korea on Thursday after the North shelled across the border to protest against anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts by Seoul - the first exchange of fire in 10 months.
North Korea did not return fire but warned Seoul in a letter that it would take military action if the South did not stop the loudspeaker broadcasts along the border within 48 hours, the South's Defense Ministry said.
In a separate letter, Pyongyang said it was willing to offer an opening to resolve the conflict even though it considers the broadcasts a declaration of war, South Korea's Unification Ministry said.
WNU Editor: To say that this is a very dangerous development is an understatement.
More News On North And South Korea Exchanging Artillery Fire
North and South Korea Exchange Fire -- WSJ
North, South Korea exchange artillery fire across border -- FOX News/AP
S. Korea shells North after rocket attack -- AFP
South Korea says it exchanged fire with North Korea at border -- CNN
North Korea shells South Korean military unit forcing Seoul to return fire with scores of its own rockets as tensions over cross-border loudspeaker propaganda intensifies -- Daily Mail
North, South Korea Exchange Fire -- VOA
North and South Korea Trade Fire Across Border, Seoul Says -- New York Times
South Korea fires at North Korea in retaliation for loudspeaker attack -- The Guardian
North, South Korea Trade Fire Along Border as Tensions Worsen -- Bloomberg
South Korea Fires Rounds in Response to North Korea Projectile Targeting Loudspeaker -- Newsweek/Reuters
North Korea Threatens Military Action Against South Korea After Exchange Of Shells Over Border -- IBTimes
North Korea and South Korea Have Just Started Firing at Each Other -- VICE News
South Korea evacuation after shelling on western border -- BBC
9 comments:
Nothing will come of it
I am not sure that comment No. 1 is correct. The order to fire artillery into South Korean territory itself must have come from the very top of the Pyongyang leadership, i.e. from the Fat Leader himself. Recall that evidently he ordered the shelling of the South Korean town on that island some years ago.
The North Koreans must have realized that the South Koreans would retaliate. With that knowledge, they opened fire anyway. The South Koreans returned fire, and escalated a bit; moreover, the ostensible casus belli, i.e. the S. Korean loudspeaker broadcasts, continue. Viewed this way, the ball is back in North Korea's court. For nothing further to happen, the Fat Leader must have calculated that he would drop the matter after this exchange of artillery fire.
Somehow that calculation does not ring true for the Fat Leader. The Great Leader proved his toughness in the Korean war, and the Dear Leader proved his in the various incidents during his reign. The Fat Leader has not yet proven his toughness. I do not think that this incident is over. North korea will respond; it may not involve artillery, but it will respond.
Publius .... The "Fat Leader" ... that is a good one. :)
Yes .... they will respond because the "Fat Leader" has to respond. The question that needs to be answered is .... how will they respond.
A gas station rain shelter supported Mussolini.
Could a gas station rain shelter support Fat Leader?
How would the United States be expected to respond if Mexico set up loudspeakers broadcasting anti-American propaganda across our border? Oh wait Mexico has the American news media to do this for them!! Oh well sane countries would, at the very least, view something like this a VERY provocative act and would act with extreme prejudice to bring this to a stop pronto!!
The operative word here is sane. At this point, the United States of America is NOT a sane country.
Given that the US has a HUGE and, in my considered opinion, unwise military investment in the defense of South Korea, if I were the American leadership, I'd be calling top SK officials to very important meetings and would tell them very forcefully that they are going to cease and desist with this sh!t of broadcasting anti-NK propaganda into NK, they are going to make a public display of destroying the equipment being used, they will immediately fire the SK officials who came up with such a hare-brained idea, and they are going to issue a very public and very heartfelt apology to NK for this action and we had BETTER be convinced that they mean it!! From there we are going to try and work with NK to find a diplomatic solution to this situation.
Failure to do so will mean the immediate loss of American support with regards to SK national defense. In other words, you fight NK you are going to be doing it on your own. Furthermore our relations with big powers like Russia and China are VERY important far more important than the relations with a relatively insignificant country like you. As such, we may find ourselves on opposite sides.
Of course such moves would tend to require that America be a sane country. Since its not at present, I don't expect such to happen. While it seems unlikely that America was consulted before the decision to broadcast anti-NK messages into NK was reached, I would not necessarily rule that out. Now if we actually approved the decision or even came up with this stupid idea, that would be even worse.
Again, America is not a sane country at present. It would seem SK must not be entirely sane as well. Sane people and sane countries generally don't do things like this.
B.poster
So just to be clear your against freedom of speech?
No I'm not against freedom of speech. I should have been more clear on what I typed.
If someone set up a loud speaker on the edge of your property and began blaring insults, propaganda if you will, against you and your family. You would want this STOPPED as soon as possible and you are likely going to take whatever reasonable efforts that are necessary to get this STOPPED. Furthermore if someone slanders you or your business you are going to use whatever means necessary to get this STOPPED!!
Essentially SK should have expected this kind of response. When they undertake things such as this, they place our military personnel who are there in even more danger than they are already in. In an already tense situation, an action like this undertaken by SK is unwise and will likely only serve to exacerbate tensions. While technically free speech, these actions seem unwise to say the least.
If NK broadcast anti-SK messages into SK, I would likely expect the SK military to respond in much the same manner as the NK military did. Had the situation been reversed, SK would face harsh condemnation from the world for this. NK is protected and does not face this kind of criticism.
Given that NK strictly restricts its press, is this the first time some in NK have heard anti-government messages? Maybe this explains why the seem so paranoid. I would have thought surely the residents of NK would not be swayed by few anti government broadcasts coming from their southern neighbor. If they are really this paranoid, this would be all the more reason this idea was a bad one.
Perhaps the SK government thought the NK government would set up their own loudspeakers and send their own messages not realizing the NK approach is different. Had I been advising them I could have very easily told them what would happen.
To sum up, actions that are guaranteed to make a tense situation worse should probably be avoided when possible. It seems this would have been possible to avoid. So, while free speech is generally good, sometimes it is best not to say certain things at the wrong times. Essentially this was not helpful.
Like baiting NK to do something.
Baiting can be good.
It is like a spoiling attack. If spoiling attack is good or can be good when it comes to physical combat, then why not in politics. Does some group attacked via proxies, espionage, economic warfare, political warfare, skirmishes and war always have to sit back and wait until the other side provokes them. Do they always have to cede the initiative?
Sometime the other side builds up forces and is not going to attack but is just trying to get you to do something stupid. Or they are trying to billed you economically. Or they are trying to gage you response time or will.
Other times if you do not reciprocate and build up or call up your reserves, you get caught flat footed and are rolled.
The North Koreans have done plenty of provoking over the years. It is time that they do not get to call the tempo. Then maybe Fat leader will be caught looking foolish and weak and can be demoted via coup to defendant at the Hague or something.
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