Korea War Redux: Koreastone Cops

Though much is being made of North Korea's shelling of one of 30 disputed islands, Yeonpyeong, which houses a South Korean military base, is well inside what should be a demilitarised zone between the two Koreas, resulting in the deaths of two Korean marines and two civilians. The borders were unilaterally drawn by the UN at the end of the 1950-53 war, and the countries are still officially in a state of war. Rumors are that the incident is connected to the possible transition of power from North Korean leader Kim Jong Il to his son Kim Jong Un, or to North Korea's recent announcement that it is proceeding with its nuclear program. The skirmish began last Tuesday, when North Korea warned the South to halt military drills at the base, after which Seoul began firing artillery directly into disputed waters within sight of the North Korean shore. The North retaliated by shelling the the Yeonpyeong military installations. Seoul responded by unleashing its own barrage of howitzers and scrambling fighter jets over the North, killing far more North Koreans, though the actual number is not yet known!