South Korean Navy Ship Just Happens to be Sinking

North - and South - Korea are in the news again.

I'd be more worried, if this didn't look like one more shakedown by Dear Leader's enforcers. Of course this time the rulers of that worker's paradise may have gone over the edge, aren't after money or concessions: And think that having a few nuclear bombs gives them an edge over America. And China. And Russia. And Japan, and all the other countries in that part of the world.

So far, CNN's calling it an "accident." Yes, the South Korean Navy ship could just happen to be sinking near an island that just happens to be near the disputed border between Dear Leader's land and a country that's functional.

In the news:

"Several South Korean sailors were killed and one of its naval ships with more than 100 aboard was sinking on Friday after possibly being hit by a North Korean torpedo, South Korean media reported.

"A South Korean vessel fired at an unidentified vessel towards the north and the South's presidential Blue House was holding an emergency security meeting, Yonhap news agency said.

"South Korea's YTN TV network said the government was investigating whether the sinking was due to a torpedo attack by the North.

"The network also quoted a government source saying it was unclear yet whether the incident was related to North Korea.

" 'We are currently focusing on rescuing people,' the source said...."

"...The latest incident comes as destitute North Korea 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. (Reporting by Cho Mee-young and Kim Miyoung; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Alex Richardson)"
(Reuters AlertNet (March 26, 2010))

A few minutes ago, I read a Reuters report: Apparently a South Korean ship has fired on an unidentified vessel. This occurred after the first South Korean ship started sinking.

It's 'way too early to tell just what is happening. Dear Leader may want more money, or a special seat at the United Nations, or something: in which case, we're in for another round of bad behavior by the boss of North Korea.

Or maybe some North Korean naval commander started believing his outfit's propaganda, and snapped.

Or maybe a South Korean naval vessel just happened to spring a leak, some number of the sailors on board just happened to drop dead, and all this just happened to occur near Dear Leader's territory. It's possible. Unlikely, but possible. Very unlikely.

But it's 'way too early to tell.

Related posts:

• "Good News: North Korea Freed American Reporters"
  (August 5, 2009)
• "Cyber-Attack Started July Fourth: Common Sense, Security, and the War on Terror"
  (July 10, 2009)
• "North Korea's Still There, Still a 'Serious Concern' "
  (June 24, 2009)
• "North Korea, American Journalists, the Internet, and Power to the People"
  (June 16, 2009)
• "North Korea and the Kim Jong Dynasty: Not All Countries are the Same"
  (June 9, 2009)
• "North Korea Holds American Journalists: Let's Not Forget"
  (June 5, 2009)
• "North Korea, Nuclear Weapons, Brinksmanship, and Miscalculation"
  (May 27, 2009)

In the news:

• "S. Korean ship fires at unidentified vessel"
  Reuters (March 26, 2010)
  • "A South Korean naval ship fired at an unidentified vessel to the north on Friday after a South Korean naval vessel began sinking,...."
• "S.Korean navy ship sinking, North suspected-media"
  Thomas Reuters Foundation AlertNet (March 26, 2010)
• "Report: South Korean navy ship sinking near North Korea"
  CNN (March 26, 2010)
• "South Korean navy ship 'sinking near North' "
  BBC (March 16, 2010)