RoKs TO THE RESCUE

South Korean forces storm hijacked ship, free hostages:

South Korean special forces staged a dramatic pre-dawn rescue of 21 seamen who had been hijacked by Somali pirates. Military commandos boarded the vessel owned by Korean chemical carrier Samho Jewelry under the cover of darkness and went through the ship systematically. Pirates shot the ship's captain during the ensuing melee, but his wounds were not life threatening. Commandos killed eight pirates and arrested five. The rescue was good news for South Korean president Lee Myung-bak, who is under fire for his perceived weak responses to two acts of North Korean aggression last year.



There should be more of this sort of thing . . . . . . Saturday Bird HERE


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NORKORCOM UPDATE

North Korea naval forces seized four South Korean fishermen and their boat Thursday after the fishermen apparently drifted into North Korean waters.

North Korea's military said in a written message to the South that "the issue of crew members and the vessel will be dealt with according to the outcome of the investigation," according to the Unification Ministry in Seoul. The message provided no word on the fishermen's condition or any other details, the ministry said.

A North Korean navy patrol boat is seen amongst North Korean fishing boats near disputed waters with South Korea

North Korea has a long history of taking South Korean citizens, Japanese, and citizens of other Asian nations and holding them against their will for long periods of time.

A South Korean employee of the two Koreas' joint industrial park in the border town of Kaesong was detained in March for allegedly denouncing Pyongyang's political system. Seoul repeatedly has demanded his release but the North has not allowed access to him.

It is significant to note that as of this time, there is no news update on the fate of US journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, held by the North Koreans since March of this year and recently sentenced to 12 years hard labor. Their fate was commented on 19 July.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee: You Are Not Forgotten.