South Korean navy ship sinking near North - possibly torpedoed

[Brazen]

South Korean navy ship 'sinking'

A South Korean navy ship with about 100 personnel on board is sinking off the west coast near North Korea, possibly due to a torpedo attack, reports say.

The ship was sinking near Baengnyeong island, Yonhap news agency quoted navy officials as saying.

It also said the South Korean ship had fired shots toward an unidentified ship in the North. The incident has not been confirmed by government officials.

A rescue operation was said to be under way, amid fears for the sailors.

The 1,500-tonne ship began sinking about 2130 local time (1230 GMT).

The South Korean government has convened an emergency meeting, according to the officials.

The South Korean ministry of defence has not confirmed the reports of North Korean involvement.

The disputed sea boundary is a source of continuing tension, with incidents in January and February.

In January, North Korea fired artillery into the sea near the disputed maritime border, as part of a "military drill". South Korea returned fire, but no injuries were reported.

The following month, North Korea declared four areas near the sea border to be naval firing zones, according to the South Korean military, and deployed multiple rocket launchers close to the frontier.

Deadly naval clashes happened 1999, 2002 and the latest in November 2009 when a fire fight left a North Korean patrol boat in flames and one dead.

The South Korean vessel alleged that the North Korean vessel had crossed the disputed sea border - a charge North Korea denied.

South Korea recognises the Northern Limit Line, drawn unilaterally by the US-led United Nations Command to demarcate the sea border at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. The line has never been accepted by North Korea.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8589507.stm

[jimmy olsen]

Well, shit.

[Cecil]

Well played Brazen.

I was 100% sure this thread was started by timmy until I I went into the thread the second time. 

[Brazen]

Well played Brazen.

I was 100% sure this thread was started by timmy until I I went into the thread the second time. 

Err, thanks?

[DisturbedPervert]

Well, shit.

I can't remember, where in Korea are you?  Are you going to be killed in the initial artillery bombardment of Seoul or would it take a massive zerg rush to reach you?

[Grey Fox]

Is it : war?

[Strix]

Has 99 Red Balloons gone by?

[viper37]

I can't remember, where in Korea are you?  Are you going to be killed in the initial artillery bombardment of Seoul or would it take a massive zerg rush to reach you?

he may not live in Korea, but if there is war between the North and South, the US will get involved, and NK has nuclear weapons.  Even without nuclear weapons, in a war with conventional weapons the US would still intervene, and there would still be US troops there, and if the US gets involved there, other countries are going to get involved, and maybe even China would send 'volunteers' like the last time.

The only difference is there would be no Russian planes this time.

[jimmy olsen]

Well, shit.

I can't remember, where in Korea are you?  Are you going to be killed in the initial artillery bombardment of Seoul or would it take a massive zerg rush to reach you?

I'm 40 minutes westsouthwest of Suwon by bus, close to the
coast. So, south of Seoul by a decent bit.
It would take a while for them to get here.
HisMajestyBob is in Incheon though.

[lustindarkness]

It was nice knowing you Tim.

[Caliga]

It would be cool if Tim got captured and taken to the North to be a tutor to Kim Jong Il's nephews or something.

Some years later I would write a Broadway musical about it called The Tim And I. 

[Syt]

It would be cool if Tim got captured and taken to the North to be a tutor to Kim Jong Il's nephews or something.

Some years later I would write a Broadway musical about it called The Tim And I. 

Kim'n'Tim is a better title for marketing.

[Strix]

It would be cool if Tim got captured and taken to the North to be a tutor to Kim Jong Il's nephews or something.

Some years later I would write a Broadway musical about it called The Tim And I. 

No, no, just NO! It would not be cool. Tim would tutor them creating a whole nation of Patriotards!

[DisturbedPervert]

It would be cool if Tim got captured and taken to the North to be a tutor to Kim Jong Il's nephews or something.

Some years later I would write a Broadway musical about it called The Tim And I. 

[Josephus]

Come on. Since when does the sinking of a ship precipitate full US involvement in a war? Sheesh.