North Korea has fired several artillery shells into South Korea

[postnew]

South Korean Christians sing a Christmas song in front of a 100-foot-tall (30-meter-tall) steel Christmas tree that would be visible North Koreans living near the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas at the western mountain peak known as Aegibong in Gimpo, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. The Christmas lights will go on again for the first time in seven years, officials said.​

 

[postnew]

South Korean Christians sing a Christmas song in front of a 100-foot-tall (30-meter-tall) steel Christmas tree that would be visible North Koreans living near the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas at the western mountain peak known as Aegibong in Gimpo, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 21, 2010. Keep on singing.. don't stop singing....​

 

[postnew]

Soldiers stand guard at a check point at the Aegibong Peak Observatory just south of the demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas in Gimpo, west of Seoul December 21, 2010. South Korean military allowed Christians to erect a Christmas tree on Tuesday on top of the observatory controlled by South Korean marines, which is located about 3 km (1.9 miles) south of North Korean territory, while the North warned against it, according to local media.​

 

[postnew]

South Korean soldiers operate observation equipment on top of the Aegibong Peak Observatory just south of the demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas in Gimpo, west of Seoul December 21, 2010​

 

[postnew]

Christmas tree is seen on top of the Aegibong Peak Observatory

South Korean Christians sing a hymn in front of a Christmas tree on top of the Aegibong Peak Observatory.
​

 

[postnew]

A soldier (R) trains policemen at a military unit in Changwon, southeast of Seoul in this picture taken December 20, 2010 and released on December 22, 2010.​

 

[postnew]

About 800 policemen have been attending military training at an army unit in Changwon from December 20-23.​

 

[Watchman]

Singapore style . Even police have to carry rifle .

 

[postnew]

The South Korean Navy MSB (Movement Sea Base) floats off the coast of South Korea-controlled island of Yeonpyeong near the disputed waters of the Yellow Sea on December 22, 2010. South Korea's military said it would conduct a major ground and air live-fire exercise on Thursday near the North Korean border, as warships began a four-day exercise off the east coast.​

 

[postnew]

A resident gathers oyster as a South Korean Navy MSB (Movement Sea Base) floats in the background at the South Korea-controlled island of Yeonpyeong near the disputed waters of the Yellow Sea on December 22, 2010.​

 

[postnew]

North Korean soldiers take part in a shooting exercise at a field in Kaepoong county, on the north side of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, in this picture taken from south of the DMZ in Paju, about 50 km (31 miles) north of Seoul, December 22, 2010. South Korea said it will hold its largest-ever live-fire drill near the military border with North Korea on Thursday in a show of force just as tension on the peninsula was easing after Pyongyang's attack on a southern island.​

 

[postnew]

South Korean marines patrol at the South Korea-controlled island of Yeonpyeong near the disputed waters of the Yellow Sea on December 22, 2010.​

 

[postnew]

South Korean Army soldiers patrol near the seaside in Dangjin, south of Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010.​

 

[postnew]

Dec. 22, 2010. South Korea vowed Wednesday to "punish the enemy" as hundreds of troops, fighter jets, tanks and attack helicopters prepared massive new drills near the heavily armed border a month after a deadly North Korean artillery attack.​

 

[singveld]

postnews, why are you so interested in south korea, i was just back from there for business, i did not care about possible korea war.

 

[sukhoi-30]

Hope both Koreas can show restraint and resolve their differences peacefully instead of using military provocations.

Applause for North Korea's restraint

North Korea's reaction to the South's military drill Monday let the world see its calmness and restraint. The North's international image is being quietly altered, whereas the South is labeled by some observers as threatening the status quo.
There are also voices deriding North Korea's timidity in the face of the South's hard-line stance. North Korea should not heed them. No matter what motive it had, North Korea didn't retaliate Monday, which preserved the fragile peace on the peninsula.
Consequently, North Korea deserves the applause of the region for its diplomatic response. Those who laugh at North Korea's "cowardice" are actually onlookers seeking to extract their own interests from the chaos on the peninsula.
Before Monday's military drill, South Korea had also been restrained. It had tried to cast North Korea in the role of agent provocateur. However, this has not been the case at least in the past couple of days. Has South Korea itself slipped into that role? This question should be mulled over thoughtfully by its authorities.
The sad weight of history has cast its pall on the peninsula so that the desire to leave past grievances behind and look to the future is quenched.
South Korea chose to lash out in profound strategic anxiety, and gained only a temporary feeling of accomplishment. However, it still does not know how to enhance the flexibility of its diplomatic policy and solve the current dilemma. Yet a solution must be found sooner or later.
Like a pile of unfinished homework, the peninsula issue has piled up for six decades. South Korea, Japan and the US are continuing to add to the teetering tower, hoping that one day North Korea's collapse will eliminate all this work in one swoop.
This mentality was laid at the feet of Wall Street businessmen as the reason for the financial crisis, as they piled up bad debts.
There is no shortcut to perpetual peace on the Korean Peninsula. In order to solve the issue, many things need to be done to enhance North Korea's sense of security, including promoting the compatibility between its regime and the surrounding environment and narrowing its economic gap with neighbors.
All of Northeast Asia should act in political sincerity and economic generosity to help create workable conditions for North Korea to open up.
So far, the Six-Party Talks remain the best platform for dialogue. The two Koreas, as each other's stakeholder, should return to the table in an act of courage. They should consider their opposing standpoints, and look for a resolution side by side. In that way, both Koreas can win the world's applause.

The global times 22/12/10

 

[postnew]

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak visits a military observation post of the front-line unit in the demilitarized zone in Yanggu, far northeast of Seoul, December 23, 2010. In a rare visit to the front line, Lee visited a separate military unit near the border to inspect defensive readiness against Pyongyang. North Korea criticised major land and sea military exercises staged by the South on Thursday, but stopped short of threatening a retaliatory strike as tension remained high on the divided peninsula.​

S.Korea holds major new drill as N.Korea raps 'warmongers'
23 December 2010

SEOUL: South Korea's military Thursday held a live-fire drill involving tanks, artillery and jet fighters, in a major show of strength staged exactly a month after North Korea's deadly attack on a border island.
Washington expressed support for the live-fire exercise by its ally, the second this week, but Pyongyang criticised the South's "puppet warmongers".
The exercise at Pocheon, 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of the tense land border with North Korea, began at 2:43 pm (0543 GMT), a defence ministry spokesman said.
The exercise, the largest ground-air joint fire drill this year, ended after about 40 minutes, according to a pool report from a firing range at Pocheon.
Some 800 troops took part along with 30 K-1 tanks, 11 K-200 armoured personnel carriers, two F-15K jets, four KF-16 jets, 36 K-9 artillery pieces, three multiple long-range rockets, four 500MD helicopters, three AH-1S Cobra helicopters, and other equipment.
The navy is also conducting a four-day exercise off the east coast, which began Wednesday.

 

[postnew]

Kim Yoon-ok (C), wife of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak poses with trainees during a photo call at an army recruit training center in Nonsan, south of Seoul December 21, 2010.​

 

[postnew]

Kim Yoon-ok (R), wife of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, serves food to trainees during a photo call at an army recruit training center in Nonsan, south of Seoul December 21, 2010​

 

[postnew]

Kim Yoon-ok, wife of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak hugs a trainee during a photo call at an army recruit training center in Nonsan, south of Seoul December 21, 2010.​