(Reuters) - A South Korean naval vessel with more than 100 aboard was sinking on Friday in waters near North Korea and Seoul was investigating whether it was hit in a torpedo attack by the North, South Korean media said.
Broadcaster SBS said many (perhaps 100, according to some sources) South Korean sailors on the stricken vessel were feared dead.
South Korea's YTN TV network said the government was investigating whether the sinking was due to a torpedo attack by the North, and Yonhap news agency said the Seoul government had convened an emergency meeting of security-related ministers.
Yonhap also reported a South Korean navy ship firing towards an unidentified vessel to the north.
North Korea in recent weeks has said it was bolstering its defences in response to joint South Korean-U.S. military drills that were held this month.
Worrying development. If this is true, it's clearly a war declaration.
ReplyDeleteYep.
ReplyDeleteSo far reports say that 40 sailors are missing. If this is a torpedo attack by the North, this is a VERY big deal.
ReplyDeleteYep.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting if the first outright battle of WWIII were between SoKo and NoKo.
Yeah, I know, I know, we've been battling in Iraq and Afghanistan for almost 9 years now.
But those battles are nothing compared to the wars of the past, where in tens of thousands would be lost in a day.
Explosion sinks South Korean naval ship near North border
ReplyDeleteI found the last paragraph interesting - "In a larger skirmish that lasted for several days in June 1999, South Korea sank two North Korean warships, killing an unknown number of sailors. Seven South Korean sailors were injured at that time."