South Korea says North Korea has launched an artillery attack on one of its border islands, reportedly killing two South Korean soldiers. South Korea has now returned fire as it slips into its highest non wartime alert. It's a "reckless provocation" accordingly to Professor Zhu Feng from Peking University, whilst Dr. Park Young believes this is North Korea flexing its muscles.
"Although I can't be certain of the rationale behind North Korea's attacks yet, I see it as North Korea's intention to turn this region into a conflict zone so that it can bring the concerned parties to the discussion table....By showing that it has nuclear capacity and by firing artillery shells today, I think it is trying to make a point that it is militarily capable and thus should not be lightly regarded. Ultimately, I think it is strategically seeking to tilt talks concerning the contested Northern Limit Line and the peace treaty toward its advantage." Is this attention seeking behaviour that should be ignored, or are South Koreans right to be concerned?
That''s all from World Have Your Say tonight. Thanks for all your comments. See you tomorrow.
Comment sent via SMS
18:57
110101842
S Korea is a smaller issue, I think the bigger one is a concerted effort to drive western dominance out of a wider Pacific region. <WS Bingi, Uganda>
Comment sent via Facebook
18:57
113631290
Joshua - North Korea isnt really that big of a threat to anyone that isnt South Korea. I'm not scared of them, but we'll likely wind up going to war with them within the next few years.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:56
113631290
Awan - North Korea is just like a fool that exposes his folishness because it's not the most powerful nation in world when USA and China are there. Am not scared however much they may be equiped.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:55
113631290
James G emailed - Unbelieveable that anyone could blame Obama for this and draw Bush parrallels. What Bush showed north Korea is that we attack countries without WMD (Iraq) and do nothing to countries we know have them (N Korea)
Comment sent via Facebook
18:54
113631290
Bwana in Zambia - General Macarthur was right 50years ago to have requested for the use of nuclear arms against the north. He knew how stubborn North Korea was and now the region is in a mess because the north is now armed and dangerous..
Comment sent via BLOG
18:52
113631290
Tom Ford on the blog - It is hard for me to understand why anyone would try to build or acquire a nuclear weapon when the US and Russia still have an overwhelming number of them and the capacity to precisely place them anywhere on the planet and probably even off the planet into space at satellites
Comment sent via Facebook
18:50
113631290
Eric - North Korea is like a little child. When they feel they are being ignored by the world media they do something drastic.
Comment sent via SMS
18:49
114677409
Russia probably there say that only nuclear weapons hold back the bad capitalist enemies. Although nowadays in Russia to capitalists had summed bad terrorists.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:47
113631290
James in North Carolina emailed - bear in mind that the West needs North Korea to exist, and the North knows this. If the regime collapses and seeks to be absorbed by the South, much as East Germany was absorbed by the West, the economic differences between the two countries is simply too immense.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:45
113631290
Michael in Johannesburg - As I got older it became shockingly clear that the world is run by the same people who bullied others in school, or were bullied and now want to wield that power. The North is an entire country led by people who could do something insane based on a personal grudge and a bad hair day.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:43
113631290
Obed -The UN secretary,the Us and other peace ambassadors should make a quick move to cool the otherwise boiling waters
Comment sent via Facebook
18:43
113631290
Steve - Let th UN investigate what's really causing the infighting btn the 2 koreas. otherwise no need to get scared of the north.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:43
113631290
Peter - I doubt that any Third World or developing country has anything, or any reason, to fear from North Korea or Iran. These countries are our friends. Korea has not forgotten the lessons of 1950-1953 when the West, under the guise of the UN, very nesrly succeeded in destroying the North Korean state
Comment sent via SMS
18:43
115580531
Dr Edward,Nig.I think China,as an ally of N.Korea has not done enough to discourage N.Korea鈥檚 violent tendencies to international issues.N. Korea remains a worldwide threat,and the international community must take more decisive steps to forestall further provocations!
Comment sent via Facebook
18:42
113631290
Paul - North Korea only understands force, and is run by a tinpot dictator. If China can't control its puppet the west will!
Comment sent via Facebook
18:40
113631290
Temitope in Ibadan - This is happening because people like Obama believe that by appeasing criminals they can convert them to reason! If GEORGE W. BUSH WERE HERE WOULD NORTH KOREA HAVE TRIED THIS? THIS PROVOCATION IS ALL OBAMA'S FAULT.
Comment sent via Facebook
18:38
113631290
Irvin - North Korea, is like the noisy neighbours they should be sanctioned, the cold war has taken a new level
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:38
113631290
Michael emailed from Berlin, Germany - I think there is in general a problem on how the international community responds to terroristic acts by states like North Korea and Iran. It is not convincing and does not seem to follow a logic and a concerted strategy.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
18:37
113631290
Jeremie emailed - Can believe it the Western still tolerate this kind of behave, the way thing goes next time they will sink US boat and we will see if US will scale back because of China involving.
Are you scared of North Korea?
| Tuesday, 11 Nov. 2010 | 18:06 - 19:00 GMT
South Korea says North Korea has launched an artillery attack on one of its border islands, reportedly killing two South Korean soldiers. South Korea has now returned fire as it slips into its highest non wartime alert.
It's a "reckless provocation" accordingly to Professor Zhu Feng from Peking University, whilst Dr. Park Young believes this is North Korea flexing its muscles.
"Although I can't be certain of the rationale behind North Korea's attacks yet, I see it as North Korea's intention to turn this region into a conflict zone so that it can bring the concerned parties to the discussion table....By showing that it has nuclear capacity and by firing artillery shells today, I think it is trying to make a point that it is militarily capable and thus should not be lightly regarded. Ultimately, I think it is strategically seeking to tilt talks concerning the contested Northern Limit Line and the peace treaty toward its advantage."
Is this attention seeking behaviour that should be ignored, or are South Koreans right to be concerned?
Your comments
Comment sent via host
That''s all from World Have Your Say tonight. Thanks for all your comments. See you tomorrow.
Comment sent via SMS
S Korea is a smaller issue, I think the bigger one is a concerted effort to drive western dominance out of a wider Pacific region. <WS Bingi, Uganda>
Comment sent via Facebook
Joshua - North Korea isnt really that big of a threat to anyone that isnt South Korea. I'm not scared of them, but we'll likely wind up going to war with them within the next few years.
Comment sent via Facebook
Awan - North Korea is just like a fool that exposes his folishness because it's not the most powerful nation in world when USA and China are there. Am not scared however much they may be equiped.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
James G emailed - Unbelieveable that anyone could blame Obama for this and draw Bush parrallels. What Bush showed north Korea is that we attack countries without WMD (Iraq) and do nothing to countries we know have them (N Korea)
Comment sent via Facebook
Bwana in Zambia - General Macarthur was right 50years ago to have requested for the use of nuclear arms against the north. He knew how stubborn North Korea was and now the region is in a mess because the north is now armed and dangerous..
Comment sent via BLOG
Tom Ford on the blog - It is hard for me to understand why anyone would try to build or acquire a nuclear weapon when the US and Russia still have an overwhelming number of them and the capacity to precisely place them anywhere on the planet and probably even off the planet into space at satellites
Comment sent via Facebook
Eric - North Korea is like a little child. When they feel they are being ignored by the world media they do something drastic.
Comment sent via SMS
Russia probably there say that only nuclear weapons hold back the bad capitalist enemies. Although nowadays in Russia to capitalists had summed bad terrorists.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
James in North Carolina emailed - bear in mind that the West needs North Korea to exist, and the North knows this. If the regime collapses and seeks to be absorbed by the South, much as East Germany was absorbed by the West, the economic differences between the two countries is simply too immense.
Comment sent via Facebook
Michael in Johannesburg - As I got older it became shockingly clear that the world is run by the same people who bullied others in school, or were bullied and now want to wield that power. The North is an entire country led by people who could do something insane based on a personal grudge and a bad hair day.
Comment sent via Facebook
Obed -The UN secretary,the Us and other peace ambassadors should make a quick move to cool the otherwise boiling waters
Comment sent via Facebook
Steve - Let th UN investigate what's really causing the infighting btn the 2 koreas. otherwise no need to get scared of the north.
Comment sent via Facebook
Peter - I doubt that any Third World or developing country has anything, or any reason, to fear from North Korea or Iran. These countries are our friends. Korea has not forgotten the lessons of 1950-1953 when the West, under the guise of the UN, very nesrly succeeded in destroying the North Korean state
Comment sent via SMS
Dr Edward,Nig.I think China,as an ally of N.Korea has not done enough to discourage N.Korea鈥檚 violent tendencies to international issues.N. Korea remains a worldwide threat,and the international community must take more decisive steps to forestall further provocations!
Comment sent via Facebook
Paul - North Korea only understands force, and is run by a tinpot dictator. If China can't control its puppet the west will!
Comment sent via Facebook
Temitope in Ibadan - This is happening because people like Obama believe that by appeasing criminals they can convert them to reason! If GEORGE W. BUSH WERE HERE WOULD NORTH KOREA HAVE TRIED THIS? THIS PROVOCATION IS ALL OBAMA'S FAULT.
Comment sent via Facebook
Irvin - North Korea, is like the noisy neighbours they should be sanctioned, the cold war has taken a new level
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Michael emailed from Berlin, Germany - I think there is in general a problem on how the international community responds to terroristic acts by states like North Korea and Iran. It is not convincing and does not seem to follow a logic and a concerted strategy.
Comment sent via YOURSAY
Jeremie emailed - Can believe it the Western still tolerate this kind of behave, the way thing goes next time they will sink US boat and we will see if US will scale back because of China involving.