North Korea has warned it will continue to launch attacks if the South violates its disputed sea border and blamed Seoul for starting major clashes that killed two soldiers.


South Korea said around 200 North Korean artillery shells hit one of its islands, prompting Seoul to return fire.But the communist state claimed its arch-rival fired first, after the North warned Seoul to halt military drills in the area.US President Barack Obama said he was "outraged" by North Korea's actions.Two South Koreanmarines were killed and 16 other soldiers hurt, some seriously, after the shelling on the island of Yeonpyeong.It was one of the heaviest bombardments on the South since the Korean War ended with a truce in 1953.North Korea has now threatened to continue with "merciless military retaliatory strikes" if its neighbour violates their western sea border "even 0.001 millimetre". Build up to the latest korea flashpoint


Tensions rose sharply early this year after Seoul accused the North of torpedoing one of its navy vessels, killing 46 sailors.South Korea condemned the latest deadly attack as a "clear military provocation" and warned it would retaliate strongly if there was more violence.And it warned of stern retaliation if there were further such incidents.Foreign Secretary William Hague urged Pyongyang to refrain from more attacks, which he described as "unprovoked".The US also strongly criticised the military strike and called on the North to "halt its belligerent action".White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said America was "firmly committed" to South Korea's defence and to the "maintenance of regional peace and stability".
The moment an artillery shell landed on the islandUN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has also called for restraint on both sides and condemned the artillery attack by the North.Pyongyangaccused its neighbour and the US of bolstering their military ties before an invasion against the communist state.Following the assault 75 miles west of the South's capital, F16 fighter jets were scrambled to the island and Seoul said the country was on its highest non-wartime alert.Many of the rounds landed on a military base and also went into the sea near the countries' disputed western border.Seoul says its troops based on the island then returned fire.Between 1,200 and 1,300 people live there. TV pictures showed smoke rising from the location. [b]North Korean Attack[/b]

Pyongyang fires artillery shells at South Korean island



A witness said residents were evacuated during the shelling which lasted for about an hour and then stopped abruptly.South Korean President Lee Myung-bak has held an emergency meeting following the incident.He said he was trying to prevent the exchange of artillery fire from escalating into a greater conflict.China has expressed concern over the exchange of fire and urged the two sides to work toward peace and stability on the Korean peninsula.North Korea Attack



View North Korea Attack in a larger mapThe impoverished North depends heavily on China for economic and diplomatic support.And its leader, Kim Jong-Il, has visited China twice this year, in part to gain backing for the appointment of his son to eventually take over the family dynasty.Sky's Asia correspondent Holly Williams said: "We do see skirmishes from time to time in the Yellow Sea, which lies off the western coast of the Korean peninsula."These are disputed waters. This is the area where earlier this year a South Korean battleship was sunk, apparently by a North Korean torpedo. The North Koreans deny that."And last month, fire was returned across the demilitarised zone, the strip of land that divides North Korea and South Korea."But this is different. Civilians are involved. It is bigger in scale than the skirmishes we normally see."
South Korean soldiers pictured during recent military exercisesShe added: "Normally when this sort of aggression takes place started by the North we tend to assume it is something to do with dictator Kim Jong-Il's own position domestically."Perhaps he is having to shore up his own position. We know he has been ill in recent years and perhaps also weakened politically. There will be speculation this is more of the same."The firing happened just over a month after Jong-Il unveiled his youngest son Kim Jong Un as his heir apparent.

You cannot rule out a return to all-out war between the pair.

Sky's foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall
The latest incident also came amid tension over North Korea's claim that it has a new uranium enrichment facility.The countries' western maritime boundary has long been a flash point between the two Koreas.The North does not recognise the border that was unilaterally drawn by the United Nations at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.North and South Korea have fought three bloody skirmishes near the maritime border in recent years, most recently in November 2009.

Taken From http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/South-Korea-Says-It-Was-Attacked-By-North-Korea-Artillery-Shells-Hit-Island-Of-Yeonpyeong/Article/201011415822829?lpos=World_News_First_World_News_Article_Teaser_Region_0&lid=ARTICLE_15822829_South_Korea_Says_It_Was_Attacked_By_North_Korea%2C_Artillery_Shells_Hit_Island_Of_Yeonpyeong

Hmm, pretty intense, and it turns out that Homefront plotline may turn out to be true after all!

Look up Homefront on google, it's an upcoming FPS

Cheers for the post Vanquish

This is wierd as we were talking about North and South Korea today in art :L

More of a concern is that fact that China are amassing troops along the N.Korea border and that Japan is taking sides with South Korea.

Buy your gas masks now and stock up with food and water.

TROOPS

-- North Korea has 1.19 million troops in active service, and more than 7.7 million reservists. It is one of the world's most militarized countriesand has a population of 23.4 million.

-- South Korea has 687,000 troops on active duty, and about 4.5 million reserve forces. They are reinforced by 28,000 U.S. troops stationed in theSouth.

CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS

-- North Korea has some 4,100 tanks and more than 2,500 armored personnel carriers. Much of the equipment is believed to be Soviet-era procurement andin need of upgrading. The T-54, the North's main combat tank, began to be phased out by most other countries in the 1970s.

-- North Korea also has more than 17,900 artillery pieces -- including 4,400 self propelled, 2,500 multiple rocket launchers and 7,500 mortars.

-- South Korea has 2,750 main battle tanks and 2,780 armored personnel carriers. It has 10,470 artillery pieces including 1,089 self propelled and3,500 towed. South Korea has 185 multiple rocket launchers.

-- Soviet-made MiGs make up the bulk of the North's 620 air combat capable aircraft. The fleet is largely obsolete and not fit for modern combat. TheSouth has about 490 combat aircraft.

-- North Korea is believed to be steadily building its submarine fleet, with its 71 vessels outnumbering the South's dozen or so. Its 420 warshipsalso outnumber the South's roughly 140 vessels, but the South has been adding powerful destroyers to its fleet.

-- North Korea has limited fuel supplies, and relies heavily on China for its crude oil and gasoline.

MISSILES

-- North Korea has more than 800 ballistic missiles and more than 1,000 missiles of various ranges. It has sold missiles and technology overseas, withIran a top buyer. South Korea is limited in pursuing missile development under a treaty with the United States but has recently deployed newlong-range cruise missiles with a range of 1,500 km which can hit all of North Korea and also targets in China and Russia.

NUCLEAR WEAPONRY

-- North Korea is believed to have produced about 50 kg (110 lb) of plutonium, which experts say would be enough for six to eight nuclear weapons.North Korea's last week disclosed the existence of an ultra-modern uranium enrichment facility. The reported sighting of more than 1,000 centrifugesat its main nuclear complex appears to confirm the impoverished North, which has a plutonium-based atomic program, is working to create a secondsource of arms-grade nuclear material. -- It has twice conducted nuclear tests but has yet to show that it has a working nuclear bomb.

-- South Korea, an advanced nuclear power state, does not have a nuclear arms program, although Washington has promised protection under its "nuclearumbrella."

U.S. FORCES KOREA

-- The main frontline 2nd Infantry Division is armed with 140 M1A1 Abram battle tanks, 170 M2 Bradley Fighting vehicles, rocket launchers, tacticalmissiles, Patriot missile defense systems. The U.S. Air Force operates F-16 fighters, ground attack planes and three U-2 spy planes.

Idiots..............Thats all

8-) nothing like a bit of brotherly love