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

[nadinbrzezinski]

Source: YonhapNews\ English

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

(END)



Read more: hhttp://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.

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

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Through 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

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. CNN to come to breaking news

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!

[Raschel]

6. Could someone here explain the implications of this for me?

Who supports No. Korea besides China and why? Why does the world have such an interest in No/So Korea?

I know Kim is a terrible tyrant and no. Korea is communist etc. and I certainly don't want to see the people of So (or no. Korea for that matter) under his thumb.
However, I don't get the international interest unless money or logistics is involved.

Perhaps one of you smarter people could enlighten me in a 'No./So. Korea for Dummies' sort of way.

[WCGreen]

7. South Korea is one of the biggest importers to the US...

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. The real cliff's notes

if this ends up in a war, we have a series of interlocking alliances. We for the South, with a UN force, (Canada, Turkey, Brazil, Greece, England. ) and a slew of others, it is 16 states total, who have mutual defense obligations with the South. Pyonghang has a mutual defense pact with China, and also Russia. Russia could get out of it since the USSR is no longer around.

SO the very short version. We could end up in war time conditions very fast, as the hostilities resume.

It is like WW I... it started due to a third rate power and a shooting of a Duke... it ended up with five years of war.

[gateley]

10. Thanks, nad - and thanks Raschel for asking this. This helps me better understand. nt

[Raschel]

11. Thanks much. You made it very easy for me to understand.

:hi:

[Dappleganger]

12. The Korean War never did officially end.

Neither side would sign the treaty.

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Nope and the North has been acting like the

armistice terms don't apply since 1999

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. CNN on

[krispos42]

4. This needs to be watched n/t

[bluestateguy]

5. Let's see here

MSNBC the "progressive" channel is airing To Catch a Predator.

Fox News is airing an old rerun of Geraldo.

Nothing on the networks.

Wake me up when the grown up channels start covering it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. CNN has

and this is NOT accidental, why Americans are so damn ignorant of the world. We will bother to tell you when your ass is well on it's way to the army.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. Per CNN URL to be updated

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

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Oh and here more from tweeter

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

[gateley]

20. I heard on the radio earlier that a lot of people had headed into bomb shelters.

ALSO, just heard from an "expert" as you did since you're watching, too, that North Korea will wait to retaliate until South Korea has its guard down, but Wolf just said that maybe NK is looking to ease tensions maybe?

I'm sure we'll learn more tomorrow.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Which we will

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. 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

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

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.

[gateley]

17. Did they cut it short? What did I read about that mentioned two hours?

I'm confused.

Anyway, I'm glad they've "ceased fire". :7

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. They made their point

that is my read of it... they also launched F-15... so something might have happened behind closed doors. You know the kind of cables that will not make it to WIKI Leaks...

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. 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?

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. Now we have confirmation that it's 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).

[Selatius]

23. Let's see what North Korea does in the next 72 hours.

That's more than enough time for the leadership in the north to deliberate and make a decision on how to react to this test. If the leadership is that stupid, it painted itself into a corner, and war becomes the obvious solution, unless the leadership is willing to swallow its pride and back down. Perhaps cooler heads will prevail.