Sth Korea deploy F16's as the 2 Korea's exchange artillery rounds
 

From the NZ Herald website:

Tensions between the Korean nations have reached a boiling point as North Korea fired dozens of rounds of shells at a South Korean island tonight.

Two people have been confirmed injured, and up to 60 houses are on fire, Sky News reported, as shells continued to fall on Yeonpyeong Island, near the western border.

South Korean authorities are on their highest wartime alert and have deployed F16 planes in response to northern aggression.

South Korean officials, including President Lee Mung-Bak, are meeting at an underground bunker in Seoul to plan their response.

Mr Lee said he was trying to prevent a greater conflict, the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) website said.

KBS reported 14 South Korean soldiers had been injured, four seriously.

South Korea television network YTN said between 1,200 and 1,300 people live on the island, citing an island resident. TV pictures showed black and white smoke rising from the island.

Citizens on the island have reportedly fled to bunkers.

A South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official (JCS) said dozens of rounds of artillery landed on the island and in the sea. The official said South Korea fired back. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of JCS rules, said South Korea's military is on alert. He had no other details.

South Korea officials said it has deployed F16 jets.

The firing comes amid tension over North Korea's claim that it has a new uranium enrichment facility and just over a month after North Korean leader Kim Jong Il unveiled his youngest son Kim Jong Un as his heir apparent.

Tensions between the two Koreas also remain tense after the sinking in March of a South Korean warship in which 46 sailors died. Seoul has blamed a North Korean torpedo, while Pyongyang has denied any responsibility.

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 close 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.

- NZ Herald staff, AP

What a good job we haven't just binned the Harrier, MRA4 and reduced the RN fleet........oh hang on! :ugh:

It is a good idea.

Stop home, mind own business, other side of planet, we small bankrupt island.

Not wishing to understate the seriousness of this incident (and, inter alia,the UK & Commonwealth commitment to maintaining the ceasefire), there is always sabre-rattling between the two Koreas. DPRK's attack on the South Korean corvette earlier this year was, arguably, a more serious event yet South Korea remained steadfast.

That event was a bit more stage-managably deniable that this, more bold adventure !

Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!
 

Perhaps not, in Korea?



.

Op DENY CHRISTMAS has started early this year, hasn't it?

This'll push the Lossiemouth/Leuchars debate off the front page!:)

FB:uhoh:

Alternatively base Tiffy in Japan.

Can't think what good a Harrier would be unless they fitted them with loudspeakers and got the seat/stick interface to blather on for hours about being a Harrier pilot. The North would surrender pretty damn sharpish.

and...

Spot on tonker, spot on.

CG

I wonder if that's what the kiwis and ockers thought in '14, '39 and various tribal skirmishes since?

Willard Whyte,

Voice Aircraft (VA)were tried and failed during the Korean War due to the threat posed by North Korean air defence (primarily AAA). As a result, Gen Sir Gerald Templer secured several C-47 Dakotas(as we know them) from the USAF (via Gen Mark Clarke) and moved them south ot the Malay Peninsula where they were used very, very sucessfully to defeat the insurgents. Typical message was 12-15 seconds long, and repeated itself on an endless loop. Perhaps like a Bona Mate?

All seriousness, VA and leaflet dropping together were the most successful tools in causing hundreds of surrenders ('self-renewal') amoungst the Communists. By comparison, dropping c 18,000 tons of HE and FAW over five years acounted for...18 dead insurgents!

GBZ.........:D

We paid our price in the original Korean War, and while the UK might feel a debt is owed to support Australia and/or New Zealand if they ran into trouble, I can't quite see how that stretches to the Koreans.

And if either wish to join the Americans in another SE Asian adventure, they did that before in Vietnam, and we didn't join them in that war either.

Orac..............::D

CG

IIRC part of the UN ceasefire agreement from the original war (it's still only a ceasefire) was that if it kicked off again, we'd be involved again.

So it comes down to honouring commitments the UK made 55 years ago.

Nope.

TEXT OF THE KOREAN WAR ARMISTICE AGREEMENT

Yep, you stole my thunder.

From the news coverage here, it appears that an SK military exercise, wherein the South were shooting artillery away from NK was used as the excuse that South were "shooting at us" by the Norkers.

They are so transparent.

Best we tell the UN where to stick that then.

Korea
 

I will be sleeping safe in my bed tonight cos this is not a Cyber War and Call me Dave has taken Military advice from high and we dont need Big Guns, Big Tanks, fast pointy things and those pisky sub hunters any more.

A mate teaches in a Korean town near the border and the streets are strangely empty and will be a easy walk home not having to dodge loads of folk.