South Korean ship with 104 on board sinks after 'torpedo attack by North Korea'
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
We don't yet know the cause, it would be against the run of things for the North Koreans to have attacked it right from the off and in plain sight.
Could it have hit a mine perhaps? Maybe an error of navigation?
Do we know anything of the weather in the area?
Apologies if these things have been covered in your article, i'm in a rush and going on a scant World Service bulletin from an hour ago.
Could it have hit a mine perhaps? Maybe an error of navigation?
Do we know anything of the weather in the area?
Apologies if these things have been covered in your article, i'm in a rush and going on a scant World Service bulletin from an hour ago.
feckin' hell!! Is this true?? There's nothing on the news sites I checked ..yet
ok, actually it's on several websites, but no confirmation yet that it was an attack by NK
I highly doubt that N.Korea have torpedoed a S.Korean ship. If the ship carries explosives itself, which presumably it does, it's more likely that it was an accident onboard.
All news outlet do not mention a NK torpedo except the daily mail.There are news of exchange of fire though!!
I know it has been mentioned on a few websites BUT has it been 100% confired it is a torpedo?
If it is confirmed the OP is right it will not end well.
Mind North Korea have threatened nuclear strikes if they are attact ,but would they make the first strike ?
If it is confirmed the OP is right it will not end well.
Mind North Korea have threatened nuclear strikes if they are attact ,but would they make the first strike ?
The North Korean missile would probably blow up over North Korea
Remember the Maine!
are the nukes out yet ?
it was a torpedo and not a air to ground missile.
I think Alex was talking about any nuclear attempts.
south korean ship sunk a day after this came out
Did something similar happen between SK & NK last year?
Fears grow for around 50 SK sailors after their ship sank yesterday.
A South Korean warship sank on Friday killing dozens of sailors after an explosion ripped a hole in its stern close to the disputed maritime border with North Korea.
By Rob Crilly
26 Mar 2010
The government in Seoul convened an emergency meeting of security ministers as officials investigated whether a North Korean torpedo attack was responsible.
Earlier in the day, North Korea's military threatened "unpredictable strikes," including a nuclear attack, in anger over a report that South Korea and the US were preparing for possible instability in the totalitarian country.
Last night six naval ships and two coast guard vessels were deployed to rescue survivors among the 104-strong crew.
More than 50 sailors were plucked alive from the Yellow Sea near Baengnyeong island but fears were growing for the safety of the others.
The stretch of water has been the scene of deadly clashes between the rivals in the past and tensions have grown in recent months.
A second South Korean vessel opened fire on an unidentified target to the north shortly after the explosion, amid fears the explosion was caused by a torpedo strike, according to the country's Yonhap news agency.
However, the target turned out to be a flock of birds, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The 1500-ton Cheonan began sinking at about 21.45 local time (1245 GMT).
"The ship appears to have begun sinking after an explosion at the rear of the ship," said the South Korean Navy in a statement. "We have been unable to find the exact cause of the incident as of this moment."
A government source told YTN television that officials were investigating several possible causes, including an attack by a North Korean torpedo boat, a mine or an explosion of munitions aboard the ship.
The explosion took place near a disputed Yellow Sea maritime border off the west coast of the peninsula that was the scene of two deadly naval fights between the rival Koreas in the past decade.
Last November the two navies exchanged fire in the area for the first time in seven years. Seoul's officials said a North Korean patrol boat had retreated in flames but its casualties were unknown. No South Koreans were hurt.
In January the North fired 370 artillery shells into the sea near the border, raising tensions between the two sides.
The North refuses to accept the maritime frontier known as the Northern Limit Line, which was drawn up by United Nations forces after the 1950-53 Korean War. It says the line should run further to the south.
The latest incident comes as destitute North Korea, led by Kim Jong-il, is facing pressure to end its year-long boycott of international nuclear disarmament talks, where it can win aid to prop up its broken economy in exchange for reducing the security threat it poses to the region.
It withdrew from talks last year after widespread condemnation of a long-range missile launch.
South Korea investigates whether North involved in ship sinking - Telegraph
A pair of vessels in company and at night, explosion near the rear of the ship, hmm. Speculating can only take you so far for we don't know what manoeuvres they might've been engaged in at the time.
A South Korean warship sank on Friday killing dozens of sailors after an explosion ripped a hole in its stern close to the disputed maritime border with North Korea.
By Rob Crilly
26 Mar 2010
The government in Seoul convened an emergency meeting of security ministers as officials investigated whether a North Korean torpedo attack was responsible.
Earlier in the day, North Korea's military threatened "unpredictable strikes," including a nuclear attack, in anger over a report that South Korea and the US were preparing for possible instability in the totalitarian country.
Last night six naval ships and two coast guard vessels were deployed to rescue survivors among the 104-strong crew.
More than 50 sailors were plucked alive from the Yellow Sea near Baengnyeong island but fears were growing for the safety of the others.
The stretch of water has been the scene of deadly clashes between the rivals in the past and tensions have grown in recent months.
A second South Korean vessel opened fire on an unidentified target to the north shortly after the explosion, amid fears the explosion was caused by a torpedo strike, according to the country's Yonhap news agency.
However, the target turned out to be a flock of birds, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The 1500-ton Cheonan began sinking at about 21.45 local time (1245 GMT).
"The ship appears to have begun sinking after an explosion at the rear of the ship," said the South Korean Navy in a statement. "We have been unable to find the exact cause of the incident as of this moment."
A government source told YTN television that officials were investigating several possible causes, including an attack by a North Korean torpedo boat, a mine or an explosion of munitions aboard the ship.
The explosion took place near a disputed Yellow Sea maritime border off the west coast of the peninsula that was the scene of two deadly naval fights between the rival Koreas in the past decade.
Last November the two navies exchanged fire in the area for the first time in seven years. Seoul's officials said a North Korean patrol boat had retreated in flames but its casualties were unknown. No South Koreans were hurt.
In January the North fired 370 artillery shells into the sea near the border, raising tensions between the two sides.
The North refuses to accept the maritime frontier known as the Northern Limit Line, which was drawn up by United Nations forces after the 1950-53 Korean War. It says the line should run further to the south.
The latest incident comes as destitute North Korea, led by Kim Jong-il, is facing pressure to end its year-long boycott of international nuclear disarmament talks, where it can win aid to prop up its broken economy in exchange for reducing the security threat it poses to the region.
It withdrew from talks last year after widespread condemnation of a long-range missile launch.
South Korea investigates whether North involved in ship sinking - Telegraph
A pair of vessels in company and at night, explosion near the rear of the ship, hmm. Speculating can only take you so far for we don't know what manoeuvres they might've been engaged in at the time.
Okay...i've been doing some further reading and this is a picture of the class of ship if not the ROKS Cheonan herself.
A Pohang class corvette, customarily main duties being coastal patrols and ASW work. And was alucned back in 1989.
The ship's armament consisted of:[1]
* Harpoon missiles
* 76 mm cannons
* 30-40 mr cannons
* Six torpedoes
A Pohang class corvette, customarily main duties being coastal patrols and ASW work. And was alucned back in 1989.
The ship's armament consisted of:[1]
* Harpoon missiles
* 76 mm cannons
* 30-40 mr cannons
* Six torpedoes
sounds like a feckin bond flick.
The coincidence factor if this happened to be an accident is just too big for a modern war ship to explode on the border of contested waters with a fierce and dangerous enemy who threaten such things like this all of the time. The argument against that could be made that submarines cannot get close to modern warships without them knowing about it and taking evasive actions.
A hypothesis could be put forward that Seoul knows Pyongyang had a hand in it, but stating such would force an all out war which they obviously want to avoid. A counter claim to that again would be that South Korea wouldn't be able to contain such a situation with the Americans going over their heads, I recall back to when the Iranians took those Royal Navy sailors hostage a few years ago and the White House was chomping at the bit far ahead of London.
This is very smoke and mirrors and could get hot very quickly, whilst South Korea is keeping their options open they must surely be putting their military on full alert and be preparing to mobilise their navy - without a doubt the great power capitals will be watching this attentively.
A hypothesis could be put forward that Seoul knows Pyongyang had a hand in it, but stating such would force an all out war which they obviously want to avoid. A counter claim to that again would be that South Korea wouldn't be able to contain such a situation with the Americans going over their heads, I recall back to when the Iranians took those Royal Navy sailors hostage a few years ago and the White House was chomping at the bit far ahead of London.
This is very smoke and mirrors and could get hot very quickly, whilst South Korea is keeping their options open they must surely be putting their military on full alert and be preparing to mobilise their navy - without a doubt the great power capitals will be watching this attentively.
Cheonan's captain relates circumstances of ship's sinking.
South Korea's navy is continuing its search for 46 sailors missing after Friday's explosion sank their ship, but hopes are fading of finding survivors.
Military divers have arrived at the scene in near-freezing waters, but rough seas are holding up their work.
The naval patrol vessel sank near the disputed maritime border with North Korea but officials say there is no indication the North was involved.
Fifty-eight sailors were rescued from one of the South's worst sea disasters.
The 1,200-tonne Cheonan sank off the west coast of the divided peninsula, in an area which has seen deadly exchanges of fire between the navies of the North and South in the past.
But there were no North Korean vessels in the area, and Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Park Sung-Woo said there was no sign of any "abnormal movement" in the North.
A group of 150 angry relatives protested outside the Pyeongtaek naval base south of Seoul at the lack of information they have been given, the AP news agency reports.
They pushed their way past security guards, shouting "Liars".
'Save me'
The ship's rescued captain has been recounting what happened.
"There was the sound of an explosion and the ship keeled to the right. We lost power and telecommunications," South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted Choi Won-il as saying.
"I was trapped in the cabin for five minutes before my colleagues broke the window in and let me out. When I got out, the stern had disappeared."
The divers were due to investigate the cause of the explosion and retrieve bodies, a South Korean military spokesman said.
Navy and coast guard vessels, as well as air force planes, were scouring the area near South Korea's Baeknyeong Island.
The AP news agency quotes an unnamed coast guard official as saying that humans could only survive in the Yellow Sea at this time of year for about two hours. He said the water would be between 3 and 5C.
The Cheonan began sinking at about 2130 local time (1230 GMT) on Friday. Only a small part of its overturned hull remains visible.
A number of the crew jumped into the water, Yonhap said.
"Yells and screams filled the air," witness Kim Jin-ho, a seaman who was on a local passenger ship bound for Baeknyeong, told cable news channel YTN.
"Marines on deck were desperately shouting: 'Save me!"'
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak convened an emergency meeting of security officials and said all possible causes for the sinking would be investigated.
He ordered the military to focus on rescuing the sailors.
There were initial reports that another South Korean ship had fired shots toward an unidentified vessel, but officials later speculated the target had been a flock of birds.
The incident comes at a time of tension between the two Koreas. International talks aimed at ending the communist North's nuclear ambitions have been stalled for months.
North and South Korea are still in a official state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended only in a truce.
Since then, they have fought three bloody skirmishes in the Yellow Sea.
In January, North Korea fired about 30 artillery shells not far from Baeknyeong. South Korea fired 100 warning shots in response, but no injuries were reported.
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 Korean War. The line has never been accepted by North Korea.
BBC News - Hopes fading for South Korea sailors
South Korea's navy is continuing its search for 46 sailors missing after Friday's explosion sank their ship, but hopes are fading of finding survivors.
Military divers have arrived at the scene in near-freezing waters, but rough seas are holding up their work.
The naval patrol vessel sank near the disputed maritime border with North Korea but officials say there is no indication the North was involved.
Fifty-eight sailors were rescued from one of the South's worst sea disasters.
The 1,200-tonne Cheonan sank off the west coast of the divided peninsula, in an area which has seen deadly exchanges of fire between the navies of the North and South in the past.
But there were no North Korean vessels in the area, and Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Park Sung-Woo said there was no sign of any "abnormal movement" in the North.
A group of 150 angry relatives protested outside the Pyeongtaek naval base south of Seoul at the lack of information they have been given, the AP news agency reports.
They pushed their way past security guards, shouting "Liars".
'Save me'
The ship's rescued captain has been recounting what happened.
"There was the sound of an explosion and the ship keeled to the right. We lost power and telecommunications," South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted Choi Won-il as saying.
"I was trapped in the cabin for five minutes before my colleagues broke the window in and let me out. When I got out, the stern had disappeared."
The divers were due to investigate the cause of the explosion and retrieve bodies, a South Korean military spokesman said.
Navy and coast guard vessels, as well as air force planes, were scouring the area near South Korea's Baeknyeong Island.
The AP news agency quotes an unnamed coast guard official as saying that humans could only survive in the Yellow Sea at this time of year for about two hours. He said the water would be between 3 and 5C.
The Cheonan began sinking at about 2130 local time (1230 GMT) on Friday. Only a small part of its overturned hull remains visible.
A number of the crew jumped into the water, Yonhap said.
"Yells and screams filled the air," witness Kim Jin-ho, a seaman who was on a local passenger ship bound for Baeknyeong, told cable news channel YTN.
"Marines on deck were desperately shouting: 'Save me!"'
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak convened an emergency meeting of security officials and said all possible causes for the sinking would be investigated.
He ordered the military to focus on rescuing the sailors.
There were initial reports that another South Korean ship had fired shots toward an unidentified vessel, but officials later speculated the target had been a flock of birds.
The incident comes at a time of tension between the two Koreas. International talks aimed at ending the communist North's nuclear ambitions have been stalled for months.
North and South Korea are still in a official state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended only in a truce.
Since then, they have fought three bloody skirmishes in the Yellow Sea.
In January, North Korea fired about 30 artillery shells not far from Baeknyeong. South Korea fired 100 warning shots in response, but no injuries were reported.
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 Korean War. The line has never been accepted by North Korea.
BBC News - Hopes fading for South Korea sailors
Cheonan sunk by torpedo.
South Korea's foreign minister says it is "obvious" that North Korea sank a South Korean naval ship in March.
Yu Myung-hwan said there was enough evidence to take the issue to the United Nations.
The Cheonan warship went down near the disputed inter-Korean maritime border, with the loss of 46 sailors.
North Korea has denied any involvement. Mr Yu's remarks came as a multinational team prepares to announce the results of its investigation.
It is the clearest indication to date from South Korea that it blames Pyongyang for the sinking of the warship on 26 March.
The findings of an investigation led by experts from the US, Australia, Britain and Sweden are to be released on Thursday, with South Korea expected to blame the North.
The BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul says that for weeks South Korean media have been full of reported leaks about what that evidence will be.
An anonymous US official in Washington told the Associated Press that the investigating team would lay out evidence that the sinking of the Cheonan was the result of a North Korean torpedo attack.
Part of a torpedo propeller is said to have been discovered on the seabed and traces of explosive found on the wreck are said to match that used in a North Korean torpedo recovered a few years ago.
While the United States appears to be preparing to support the conclusions, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton due to visit Seoul next week, China is taking a more cautious line, our correspondent says.
Its ambassador to South Korea has been quoted as saying that he does not believe that clear evidence has been discovered that proves North Korea's involvement.
Some experts have suggested that the ship could have been sunk as the result of an accidental collision with an unexploded sea mine left over from the Korean War.
BBC News - North Korea role in warship sinking 'obvious'
South Korea's foreign minister says it is "obvious" that North Korea sank a South Korean naval ship in March.
Yu Myung-hwan said there was enough evidence to take the issue to the United Nations.
The Cheonan warship went down near the disputed inter-Korean maritime border, with the loss of 46 sailors.
North Korea has denied any involvement. Mr Yu's remarks came as a multinational team prepares to announce the results of its investigation.
It is the clearest indication to date from South Korea that it blames Pyongyang for the sinking of the warship on 26 March.
The incident has increased tensions between the two nations.
The findings of an investigation led by experts from the US, Australia, Britain and Sweden are to be released on Thursday, with South Korea expected to blame the North.
The BBC's John Sudworth in Seoul says that for weeks South Korean media have been full of reported leaks about what that evidence will be.
An anonymous US official in Washington told the Associated Press that the investigating team would lay out evidence that the sinking of the Cheonan was the result of a North Korean torpedo attack.
Part of a torpedo propeller is said to have been discovered on the seabed and traces of explosive found on the wreck are said to match that used in a North Korean torpedo recovered a few years ago.
While the United States appears to be preparing to support the conclusions, with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton due to visit Seoul next week, China is taking a more cautious line, our correspondent says.
Its ambassador to South Korea has been quoted as saying that he does not believe that clear evidence has been discovered that proves North Korea's involvement.
Some experts have suggested that the ship could have been sunk as the result of an accidental collision with an unexploded sea mine left over from the Korean War.
BBC News - North Korea role in warship sinking 'obvious'
You is slipping, Nick.
Details of the 'proof' that is to be presented:
http:/http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2920725
Details of the 'proof' that is to be presented:
http:/http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2920725
So South Korea is satisfied that North Korea committed an unprovoked act of war against them and they say they will take it to the United Nations? No wonder Pyongyang doesn't take the six party talks seriously.
But why such an escalation in the first place? I know there was some controversy about a resort at the time but blimey what if for some reason there had not been all the confusion that followed the sinking.
There's not much threat of retaliation because of the serious threat to Seoul and the rest of South Korea. The UN is spineless and won't do anything other than write a harshly worded letter. North Korea will pitch a fit and eventually get more food shipped in that they can disperse amongst the military.
I'm just going to assume that Kim Jong Il just got a bit ronery. Maybe we should send Hans Blix?
Getting hot now. North Korea's allies don't seem to be standing firmly with them.
Things are getting very interesting. If China actually decides to crack down on them, then North Korea will be really screwed. Sadly, their population will not see that it's the fault of their government and will blame the rest of the world for their suffering.
How the South Korean people are reacting would be interesting to know. An article I read, I think in the Economist, said that there were more protests over an American military vehicle accidentally killing 2 people than this attack.
NK have blown their chance at watching the World Cup.
How the South Korean people are reacting would be interesting to know. An article I read, I think in the Economist, said that there were more protests over an American military vehicle accidentally killing 2 people than this attack.
NK have blown their chance at watching the World Cup.
D'yer think the North Korean's really think that, the people I mean?
I don't mean to slight you but it's something I noticed during the cold war, Americans often assume that the "enemy" (for lack of a better word) people are so incredibly indoctrinated that they're all rabid supporters of the regime. I thought that kind of prejudice was exposed as misguided when Russia threw off the Communist yoke.
North Koreans are indoctrinated and convinced that their world is better than the cruel outside. While it's true that dissent and external flows of information are growing somewhat, the entire populace is still loyal to the regime.
It's a lot easier to regulate North Korea than the Soviet Union due to size.
In addition, the Soviet Union wasn't isolationist and was ridden with corruption allowing the Soviets to know capitalism, while North Koreans know little and are likely mislead over the outside world.
It's a lot easier to regulate North Korea than the Soviet Union due to size.
In addition, the Soviet Union wasn't isolationist and was ridden with corruption allowing the Soviets to know capitalism, while North Koreans know little and are likely mislead over the outside world.
I'm sure not all of the people believe that, but North Korea is small enough and insulated enough that it wouldn't be surprising if many people really are indoctrinated. It's impossible to tell because there is basically no communication with average citizens in North Korea. So the assumption is based on what little I/most outsiders know. It's also the worst possible situation.
I just think that it would be much easier to isolate and brainwash North Korea than the entire Soviet Union.Fair enough lads but people everywhere just wanna be free. I reckon a lot of the allegiance is reliant on fear of reprisal.
If and when North Korea's regime is critically weakened I suspect we'll see the people turn on them.
If and when North Korea's regime is critically weakened I suspect we'll see the people turn on them.
Not really, these people are born with zero knowledge of free speech and human rights, and are taught that the only way is to serve the ruling party - not just out of fear.
Look at various documentaries on North Korea especially on defectors and their stories. Look at the level of fanaticism displayed by their citizens towards Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il.
The question I really want the answer to is are North Korean girls as pretty as the South Korean ones?
I could really see things kicking on from here, it'll be interesting to see how Prince Obama responds considering the enormous amounts of troops at the DMZ....probably get the US into another war.
From the article..."The U.S. has thrown its full support behind South Korea’s moves and they are planning two major military exercises off the Korean peninsula in a display of force intended to deter future aggression by North Korea, the White House said. The U.S. has 28,500 troops in South Korea."
Waiting for the green light, it would seem.
We're going to free the shit out of them.
That is the ultimate question but I doubt it would be like that, North Korea is closer to the dystopia of 1984 than any other country you care to mention, the Soviet Union doesn't come close to it. In the famines of the early nineties as much as 10% of the population perished, 25% of GDP is spent on the military, it is estimated that 300,000 are in twenty known concentration camps that you can find on google maps, I found one recently and it was perhaps the most upsetting thing I've ever seen - as disturbing as the likes of the holocaust were it happened long before I was born and there was no public knowledge of the details of it in the west until the end of the war - these are such camps that exist today and that everybody knows exists where if one person commits an infraction three generations of their family entire gets shipped off. Everybody in North Korea will know what the penalties are for the slightest most innocuous dissent and everybody will know someone who died due to famine, if there was ever a country that would rejoice with the fall of tyranny this is it.
The United Nations really is a disgrace, it was formed just as the Second World War was winding up to prevent such conflicts ever happening again and making sure people are not subjected to such pain and suffering whilst we watch on as China buffers all western attempts with regard to North Korea. If when the axis of evil was announced that it was the DPRK in the crosshairs then you would found nobody dissenting it, this now could be a moment to make China prove to the World that as a rising superpower they will act responsibly on the global stage.
This is just stupid from the Koreans.
Can US afford to be involved in another war? I know they have troops stationed there.
any oil in north korea ?