(1953-Present)
Smoke
rises from
the
North Korean Attack on Yeonpyeong Island November 23,
2010
The
Korean War (1950-1953)
officially never really ended. The war's major fighting
ended with an armistice signed on July 27, 1953 between
North Korea and its foes, South Korea and the United
Nations. Over the next 50-plus years, numerous border
battles, clashes, incidents, espionage thrillers,
assassination attempts, and terrorist acts have occurred
between North and South Korea, often involving American
forces as well.
The U.S.
maintains 28,500 troops defending South Korea and a
treaty obligation to aid the South in the event of war
with North Korea.
Below is a
partial listing of some of those incidents of violence
between North and South Korea in recent years, including
the recent attacks on a South Korean warship and the
South Korean island of Yeonpyeong.
North
Korean Attack on Yeonpyeong Island
--November
23, 2010-North Korean forces launched a surprise
artillery attack on the South Korean island of
Yeonpyeong. About 175 artillery shells landed on the
island. The attack killed two South Korean marines, two
civilians and injured 15 South Korean troops and three
civilians. South Korea responded to the attack by
shelling two North Korean coastal artillery bases on the
mainland with K-9 155mm self-propelled howitzers. The
South Korean military also scrambled F-16 fighter jets
toward the area of conflict.
Many analysts
believed that the attack was related to the ongoing
succession issue in North Korea as the then-current
leader, Kim Jong-Il was preparing to hand over power to
his son, Kim Jong-Un. (See also Dictators
and Tyrants in World
History)
After the
attack, the South Korean Defense Minister resigned his
post amid criticism that the initial South Korean
military response should have been more robust in the
face of the North Korean attack.
Sources:
Artillery
Heard in North Korea; U.S. Carrier Enters Yellow
Sea--Bloomberg,
November 27, 2010
North
Korea readies missiles as U.S., South Korea begin
drill--Globe
and Mail, Nov. 27, 2010
New
Korean war could ensnare Canada, documents
suggest--Globe
and Mail, Nov. 26, 2010
North
Korea Issues Warning as Artillery Fire Rattles
Island--New
York Times, Nov. 26, 2010
North
Korea attack linked to leadership
succession--ABC
News, Nov. 25, 2010
South
Korea May Name Ex-General, Security Aide to Defense
Post--Bloomberg,
Nov. 25, 2010
U.S.
aircraft carrier's arrival off Korean peninsula also
sends a message to
China--Washington
Post, November 24, 2010
Korean
Clash Forces the U.S. to Weigh
Options--New
York Times, Nov. 23, 2010
Emerging-Market
Stocks Tumble Most in Five Months After Korean
Conflict--Bloomberg,
Nov. 23, 2010
Shelling
of Yeonpyeong
--Wikipedia Article
The
Sinking of the South Korean Warship Cheonan
--March 26,
2010-The South Korean naval ship, the Cheonan, was
exploded and sank on March 26, 2010, killing 45 South
Korean sailors. South Korea blames the sinking of the
ship on a North Korean torpedo launced from a North
Korean submarine. North Korea denies any involvement with
the sinking of the South Korean ship, and threatened "all
out war" if South Korea retaliates.
Sources:
South
Korea on alert as tension grows over patrol boat
sinking: South Korea's president expected to refer
sinking of vessel to UN security
council--May
22, 2010, Times Online
‘All
out war’ threatened over North Korea attack on
warship Cheonan
--May 20, 2010, Times Online
South
Korea Says North Sank
Warship--Wall
Street Journal, May 19, 2010
ROKS
Cheonan (PCC-772)--Wikipedia
article on the Cheonan
Naval
clash between North and South Korean Navies
--November
09, 2009- A North Korean naval vessel entered South
Korean waters, refused to return to the North, and then
was brought under fire by the South Korean navy. The
North Korean ship was partially destroyed, and managed to
escape back across the Naval Limit Line, which is the
sea-border between the Koreas. Perhaps not
coincidentally, the Northern incursion came only days
before U.S. President Barack Obama was due to visit East
Asia.
Capture
of South Korean fishing boat
--July 29,
2009- North Korean naval forces seized a South Korean
fishing vessel early on the morning of July 29, 2009,
after it accidentally strayed into North Korean waters.
The South Korean governement asked the Pyongyang regime
to release the fishing boat and to return the four
crewmen. The captured ship is 29 tons and is called the
"800 Yeonan." The South claims the ship strayed into
North Korean waters due to a satellite navigation system
error or malfunction.
Korean
Border Tension --January,
2009-North and South Korea both mobilized their military
forces in response to verbal threats and posturing
related to North Korea's statement that it has
"weaponized" plutonium in its nuclear
warheads.
Sources:
SKorea
army on alert after North's military
threat--Jan.
18, 2009, Associated Press
Researcher:
North Korea has `weaponized'
plutonium--Jan.
17, 2009, Associated Press
Korean
Naval Border Clash --June
28, 2002-North and South Korean naval vessels fought a
twenty-minute gun battle in which 4 South Korean sailors
died and 18 wounded near Yeonpyeong island in the Yellow
Sea. A South Korean frigate was sunk and a North Korean
vessel sustained damage.
Japanese
Sinking of Spy Ship-Dec.
21 and 22, 2001-The Japanese Coast Guard chased a
suspected spy ship and sank it. Crewmembers of the spy
ship fired on the Japanese ships, wounding two Coast
Guard sailors. Spy ship crew all believed dead. Japan
supects the ship was North Korean.
Korean
Border Clash --Nov.
27, 2001--The first cross-border shooting of 2001 between
North and South Korea. North Korean troops fired several
shots at a South Korean guard post. Fire was returned by
the South Koreans.
Korean
Naval Border Clash (June
1999) --Six North Korean patrol boats repeatedly cross
the Yellow Sea maritime border over the course of nine
days, prompting an exchange of fire between the North and
South Koreans. South Korea says 20 to 30 North Korean
sailors are killed, while seven South Korean sailors were
wounded.
North
Korean Terrorist Bombing of South Korean Airliner
(November
1987)-- Bombing of South Korean airliner kills 115
passengers and crew. Two North Korean spies found
responsible.
Nuclear
Tensions
North
Korean Nuclear Test --October
9, 2006--North Korea conducted its first nuclear
test
North
Korean Nuclear Test --May
23, 2009--North Korea claims to have conducted its second
nuclear test
Korean
Nuclear Tensions Resources:
Q+A-What's
the real threat of N.Korea's nuclear
programme?--Reuters,
May 24, 2009
2006
North Korean Nuclear
Test--Wikipedia
Article