South Korean navy ship sinking near North - possibly torpedoed

[Neil]

He was probably waiting to finish his starcraft game.

Maybe he was investigating the recent scandal where pro-gamers were rigging matches.

Why would anyone investigate that?

Presumably because there's prize money involved, plus the matches get shown on tv.

So?

[DisturbedPervert]

He was probably waiting to finish his starcraft game.

Maybe he was investigating the recent scandal where pro-gamers were rigging matches.

Why would anyone investigate that?

Presumably because there's prize money involved, plus the matches get shown on tv.

Gambling.  Lots of betting going on in Starcraft and people were throwing matches

[Razgovory]

God, what a boring country.

[jimmy olsen]

If these sailors are proven to have been killed by North Korea, I wonder if their names will go up on the Korean War Memorial, after all, the war's never ended.

[Neil]

If these sailors are proven to have been killed by North Korea, I wonder if their names will go up on the Korean War Memorial, after all, the war's never ended.

I would be surprised.  There's no advantage in that.

[jimmy olsen]

If these sailors are proven to have been killed by North Korea, I wonder if their names will go up on the Korean War Memorial, after all, the war's never ended.

I would be surprised.  There's no advantage in that.

Are there supposed to be advantages?

[Neil]

If these sailors are proven to have been killed by North Korea, I wonder if their names will go up on the Korean War Memorial, after all, the war's never ended.

I would be surprised.  There's no advantage in that.

Are there supposed to be advantages?

Of course.  You never do anything political without a reason.

[jimmy olsen]

I can see how they could miss a sub that's hiding, but not an active torpedo, don't they make a lot of noise?

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/04/19/2010041901342.html

A lingering question is why the Cheonan's radar system was unable to detect a torpedo attack, if that was indeed the cause of the sinking. The Defense Ministry says the sonar aboard a South Korean warship like the Cheonan has a 70-percent chance of detecting submarines or semi-submersibles around a 2 km radius. But retired naval commanders say the chances are actually only 50 percent, so sonar officers could have been unaware of an approaching torpedo.

[Baron von Schtinkenbutt]

I can see how they could miss a sub that's hiding, but not an active torpedo, don't they make a lot of noise?

The North Koreans are known to have Russian SAET-60 torpedoes, which is an all-electric wake homer.  That fish would likely be hard to hear, particularly since it is best fired from behind the target.

[dps]

He was probably waiting to finish his starcraft game.

Maybe he was investigating the recent scandal where pro-gamers were rigging matches.

Why would anyone investigate that?

Presumably because there's prize money involved, plus the matches get shown on tv.

So?

If there's money involved, you know the government will want to get its hooks into it, no matter what country.

[alfred russel]

I can see how they could miss a sub that's hiding, but not an active torpedo, don't they make a lot of noise?

http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/04/19/2010041901342.html

A lingering question is why the Cheonan's radar system was unable to detect a torpedo attack, if that was indeed the cause of the sinking. The Defense Ministry says the sonar aboard a South Korean warship like the Cheonan has a 70-percent chance of detecting submarines or semi-submersibles around a 2 km radius. But retired naval commanders say the chances are actually only 50 percent, so sonar officers could have been unaware of an approaching torpedo.

The sonar operators were probably distracted by Starcraft.

[jimmy olsen]

Another instance of North Koreans behaving badly.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8633913.stm

North Korea 'plotted to kill high profile defector'
By John Sudworth
BBC News, Seoul

Hwang Jang Yop speaking in Washington DC, US (30 March 2010)
Mr Hwang defected after witnessing North Korea's famine

South Korea says it has uncovered a plot to assassinate a North Korean defector, the most senior official ever to have fled the authoritarian state.

Hwang Jang Yop, 87, was once a close confidant and mentor for North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

He was the former chairman of the North Korean Supreme People's Assembly, but he defected to the South in 1997.

Seoul says two suspected North Koreans have been arrested, accused of being on a mission to kill him.

The alleged plot was uncovered when the two men, posing as defectors themselves, were questioned by South Korean officials during the debriefing sessions that await all North Korean refugees who make it to Seoul.

North Korea, it seems, has never forgotten Mr Hwang's betrayal.

Just two weeks ago its official government website threatened him with death and described him as a "traitor and human scum".

Mr Hwang says he decided to defect after witnessing the disastrous economic policies that led to the North Korean famine in the 1990s.

Many of the close family members that he left behind are reported to have been sent to labour camps.

Since arriving in the South he lives under heavy police protection and remains a harsh critic of Pyongyang.

He recently travelled to the United States to give a lecture, telling journalists that he has no regrets.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Oooooooooh, those wascally wabbits! 

[The Brain]

Just two weeks ago its official government website threatened him with death and described him as a "traitor and human scum".

Invite the North Korean government to Languish?

[Razgovory]

If Tim is going to post every time the North Koreans do something evil we'll need an entire new board.  I know he's fairly new to that country but the fuckers do this all the time.  The people of south just learn to deal with it.