North Korea attacks South Korea with Artillery Fire

I have to admit that until recently I did not know a lot of details about North Korea. I got curious after they blew up that South Korean ship. What I found out basically freaked me out. The situation as I see it in North Korea is it is a Jim Jones with nukes. Scarey. Very culty. Very unstable. This is not going to be an easy situation to handle. If South Korea takes over North Korea, the general population is so brain washed they will probly fight it to the last person. They won't except their "great leader" getting taken out of power. Plus the country is sooo poor that it would really hurt South Korea economically to take over North Korea. It would cost them tons to try and fix North Korea. It would drain them. I don't know if destablizing the whole area is a good idea....even in the long run. North Korea's leader is very unstable in my opinion. But then I feel most dictators are. He is capable of just able anything. So they need to find a way to nutralize his influence and power to do anything outside of his own country. But sence he has nukes and a nice size standing army....that is not going to be easy. Especially when he wants to take over South Korea. How to get defuse the situation and limit North Koreas actions without causing an all out war? Well find out how to reason with a delusional crazy person and you will have your answer. Sorry I could not be of more help.

Actually there is no ceasefire agreement among the two countries it is just that they have agreed not to violate the 38th Parallel they often fire shots across the 2.5 miles separating them from each other. The UN Military forces that are located there aren't to enforce a cease fire but to make sure that the 38th parallel as a border for the two countries are kept as they agree the two nations are free to engage in everything but crossing the border into the other nations. Hence why they are still at war they can't have a ceasefire and steal be at war. They haven't surrendered or gave up on the War they currently fire rounds at each other. In this case it was a Drill by the South Koreans that caused or at least allowed some room for them to fire an attack on an island that North Korea things belongs to them but won't risk trying to take it from them. The Response from the UN should be one of concern but they shouldn't take any actions yet. As Nations in the Area are responding to this. China for example has responded to this. They are worried at seeing these two nations go at it and have voiced that they should both in a since grow up. As for the President Obama no US personal where injured in the attack so their is very little he should respond to. He should as we are Allies with South Korea respond with how the North is standing on very thin ice and maybe order a career group to be in the area and to be in a potions to hit several targets with in North Korea if they think of doing anything fullish. But Ultimately Obama should listen to what the DOD things he should do when involving the Military in it. Just to sum it up while the action should be viewed with concern the two countries are in an active state of war against each other they have only agreed not to invade each other. So the only options left for them is to fight using other means.

What will President Obama's response be? Hmm. That's actually a fairly easy one to answer. He will make a statement condoning the violation. Call for talks by the UN for sanctions and then completely move on to an entirely different subject which is probably telling the American people about how the tax breaks on the rich aren't really needed. Then I am absolutely sure he will take another overseas trip, followed by a let's start campaigning for 2012 speech tour. What he should do is to break North Korea of their threat and then their phony deal-making schemes. I heard somewhere that they were being compared to a bully (N. Korea) pushing a bigger kid (U.S.) around and the bigger kid just takes it and goes back for more.

IMO, the north is more unstable right now than it's ever been so any response, from the UN or other countries, has to be measured against the possibility of making the situation worse. I think the President should give it some time before saying anything.

Could they just nuke the north once and for all? Or at least follow what harrison ford did in one of his movies where he was televised while a bomb is on it's way to the enemy's head quarters and obliterating an entire building for every one to see? But seriously, the UN should intervene. If international laws were violated the sanctions should be implemented.

I think such wars doesn't end easily. If Us have an agreement with these two countries then it is a bad news for US too. If war starts then the innocent US soldiers will die too. Why US signed signed such agreement? Don't they care about the innocent soldiers of their country? Korean war has a very long history and they will keep making it history why should innocent die there?

the funny thing here, a couple of months ago when North Korea fired on South I started a discussion regarding the Koreas and what will/should come of it. I was floored by the amount of people here and in my everyday world that said "oh nothing will happen there". I would love to say that we should mind our own business, however that is not always the prudent thing to do. I work in a Veterans club every day. I hold three different jobs here so yes I am there everyday. I asked a couple of our Korean Vets (there arent many left). They looked very upset and then dont want to talk about it. The Korean War was not ended, just postponed it. With the UN and special interests these days (economy, trade etc), this could get a lot bigger than two halves of a country infighting. I dont think peace talks will do much. Since when does "lil kim" listen, or care...

ParaTed2k, I have to say that this news really come as a shock to me and though both sides have had skirmishes starting with DMZ to nuclear weapons program. I must admit that this attack on YeonPyeong Island is just both unthinkable and uncalled for. Military action here just cannot resolve anything. Irregardless, what North Korea is claiming I think they have done themselves in especially there are American fatalities. I do hope that this will end without further incident.

I don't know what the UN should do, but I don't expect them to do anything beyond making declarations. As far as Obama's decisions, it should be based on our treaty with South Korea.

Latest news says South Korean president promises "heavy retaliations". It's no surprise that North Korea will do such an atrocious act. Their leaders are delusional and the people are brainwashed. But if this escalates into a full-blown war, then thousands will die and no doubt many US soldiers will be drawn into the conflict.