S Korea starts naval firing drills amid tension

Well, my fingers are crossed.

North Korea lashed out Sunday at South Korea for causing “uncontrollable, extreme” tension on the peninsula, pointing to the planned firing drills and what it called South Korea’s “frantic provocations.”

“The South Korean puppet group, far from drawing a lesson from the deserved punishment it faced for its reckless firing of shells into the territorial waters of the (North Korea) side around Yeonpyeong Island, is getting more frantic in military provocations and war moves,” the North’s official Korean Central News Agency said.

Unsure whether these are normal than usual tirades. Nevertheless, I support Seoul's naval drill! Godspeed!

jruaustralia: "Unsure whether these are normal than usual tirades."

These are normal. If they attack again, that won't be. Let's hope they don't.

If they attack again, that won't be.

After the S Korean Def. minister resigned late last month, the rules of engagement had been redrafted. Everything has changed, and I think the whole of East Asia knows that.

jruaustralia: I was saying the NKorean tirades are normal. I just hope they don't attack the South again, because that will likely mean war, and despite a few armchair warriors on here cheering for it, no one wants it.

As to the rules of engagement being redrafted, again, it's hard to say what would happen in the actual event of NK attacking again. So far it's all talk, but when push comes to shove, would SKorea actually send fighters to bomb NK? It wouldn't be undeserved, but it would mean the destruction of a large swath of Seoul to say the least, and as much as I dislike Lee, I can see the reasons for his hesitancy to react strongly. The rules may have changed, but will the actual 'plays'.

And by the way -- I hope we don't find out.

Concerning the alleged sinking of the Cheonan corvette by the North-

The state-run broadcaster KBS aired an investigative program that refutes the latest governmental report on the cause of the sinking of the frigate Cheonan in March.

"The program raised several suspicions over the report released by a multinational team of investigators. KBS TV’s investigative journal, “In Depth 60-minutes,” aired on Wednesday night, reported that the adhesive material found on the body of the vessel and torpedo components was not Alxoy, which the state-led joint investigation team claimed as residue resulting from the explosion.

Instead, professor Chung Ki-young of Andong National University, who has conducted several examinations of the samples, told the program that it was amorphous basaluminite, something that must have collected and built up over a long period of time.

The program also alleged that the government has tried to conceal several key factors that could conflict with their conclusion that pinpointed a North Korean torpedo attack for causing the tragedy."

Although there are always going to be those less-than-rational and uninformed types who will argue that the allegations are just groundless rumors (any cursory research will produce results to the contrary), the fact that a professor allowed by the government to examine the ship and torpedo had findings contrary to what the government claims is telling.

Its not the exercises, its the provacative locations they choose to do them. I just wish they stop waving it in NK's face. Its not necessary.

As for who fired first and whatnot, all you know is what you are told. Its not on video and you weren't there. Try to keep that in mind. I got doubts about the Cheonan story too. Research the Maine and the Gulf of Tonkin incident if you want to know why.

The rules may have changed, but will the actual 'plays'.

They'll play =/

That torpedo from the NK "stealth fleet" was German made also.

It seems the Libs/Globalists are doing everything to trigger a Korea battle, but with Seoul being so close to the border it is not smart.

Research the Maine and the Gulf of Tonkin incidnet if you wantto know why

The fact is, a lot of people don't actually want to know the truth, they just want to provoke and incite, and use half-baked info to support their rants and snide comments. In other words, they have taken keave of their reason.

So it does beg the question- what drives them to do so?

If it's not money, then either they have some type of neurosis or pathology, or they are just a bit slow.

If it is money, then who is paying? -Well, that should be obvious.

The state-run broadcaster KBS aired an investigative program that refutes the latest governmental report on the cause of the sinking of the frigate Cheonan in March.

I spoke to a North Korean, former navy man after the sinking the ship; he didn’t doubt Pyongyang was behind it.

…the fact that a professor allowed by the government to examine the ship and torpedo had findings contrary to what the government claims is telling.

Unlike North Korea, South Korea is a democracy. Free nations let their citizens and broadcasting networks do that, even if it’s conspiracy theory stuff.

Badsey said: It seems the Libs/Globalists are doing everything to trigger a Korea battle,

I don't think you know what a liberal is. Wiki is free FYI. Or are you trying to be witty with the oxymoron of "covert war sparking liberals"?

hottomales: "Its not the exercises, its the provacative locations they choose to do them. I just wish they stop waving it in NK's face. Its not necessary."

BOOM! I agree with you 100%, and I'm sorry I missed your name on another thread earlier today (via another poster). I do not think SK is in the wrong in any way whatsoever, but given the childlike petulance of NK I wish SK would take the high road and conduct their exercises a little further away. SURE, it would mean the end of the political party in power, and SURE it would mean looking weak (in the reverse order), but it's GOT to be better than full out war if NK decides to make good on their threats.

Badsey: "That torpedo from the NK "stealth fleet" was German made also."

So... they had no idea that it was a torpedo, and no idea whom it was fired from, but you have all the answers, including who made it?

"It seems the Libs/Globalists are doing everything to trigger a Korea battle, but with Seoul being so close to the border it is not smart."

Are you being serious, or just trying to make me spit up my drink on my computer screen? All the die-hard right-wingers on this site have been BEGGING for war, more or less, and the more rational minded 'liberals' have been pointing out all along that war would not be good for anyone, let alone the fact it would destroy Seoul very quickly. I guess you must be a liberal at heart, then.

Are libs now globalists?

Badsey?

I've yet to see one of your conspiracies make sense...

smithinjapan, the North is just begging for war and will push the South into war. Godspeed to Republic Korea to their soldiers and civilians. Also to the Americans in the ROK, it will be a furball for a few days but the North can not win.

@Occidentalis

I spoke to a North Korean, former navy man after the sinking the ship; he didn’t doubt Pyongyang was behind it.

Yeah, and I spoke to not one, but quite a few ROK men who served and have no doubt the ROK is behind it. The point is there is quite a lot of hard evidence to contradict what the ROK/US gov't are saying

Unlike North Korea, South Korea is a democracy. Free nations let their citizens and broadcasting networks do that, even if it’s conspiracy theory stuff.

Yeah, and the ROK gov't refuses to address the contradictory evidence and re-open the case, (South Koreans are very divided on the issue, the President even admitted as much publicly) so in the end you get the same result: the higher-ups pursuing their agenda regardless.

@Yuri

the North is just begging for war and will push the South into war.

Yeah, and what would they stand to gain by attacking the ROK with Big Brother USA by their side? Via satellite the US/ROK are able to lock onto all of the North's military maneuvers and sites. They are on stand-by to unleash vastly greater firepower. You are a prime example of someone who just incites and provokes either for lack of reason/basic elementary-level information, or due to a pathology, neurosis, or a pay-off.

smith, you continue with the very same arguments you posted years ago, that SKorea must do thing because if they do it will be all out war and Seoul will be destroyed. It's pretty evident from all the articles and statements made by SKorea that;

They'not going to continue to let NKOrea kill SKoreans They are going to retaliate if attacked again, probably in a big way They are NOT going to start an all out war by bombing Pyongyang or invading NKorea Nobody, including China wants an all out war. Which is why there is a good chance that China may agree to hold NKorea at bay if SKorea retaliates by destroying a 50km strip of NKorean assets north of the border. The mood among the SKorean public has changed amd NKOrea would be very foolish now to continue with it's provocations.

And the ROK/US would do well to stop their provocations.

Before you get started (to get into your usual half-baked tirades), do some research into what the US did in South Korea 1945-1950.

Then you can research a little into how US/ROK forces slaughtered tens of thousands of civilians during the Korean War itself, whether it was via dropping over 600,000 tons of bombs on the peninsula (included the use of napalm, and did target civilians), strafing civilians with machine guns from fighter jets, or simply executing them with a rifle to the back of head (including women and their children, sometimes together).

And if you can't face up to those facts to start off with, you are basically missing some of the basic fundamentals of the North-South issue.

Yeah, and I spoke to not one, but quite a few ROK men who served and have no doubt the ROK is behind it. The point is there is quite a lot of hard evidence to contradict what the ROK/US gov't are saying.

You must live in Korea, be married into the culture, be within North Korean artillery range, and know people from both sides of the DMZ.

By holding those massive and provocative war game America tries to achieve either of the following: 1) encroach further into Korean territory and sovereignty slice by slice, or 2) ignite a total war in an aim to quench the free Korea at once.

By holding those massive and provocative war game America tries to achieve either of the following: 1) encroach further into Korean territory and sovereignty slice by slice, or 2) ignite a total war in an aim to quench the free Korea at once.

I wonder if the people in Yodok prison camp and others like it are experiencing that freedom.