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Subscribe to RSSAP moved this selection of photos Thursday by Associated Press photojournalist David Guttenfelder of an island left behind. Read more on the plight of refugees from Yeonpyeong Island here.
David Guttenfelder / AP
In this photo taken Wednesday, broken glass is seen scattered across an abandoned street in a destroyed neighborhood following the North Korea's Nov. 23 attack on Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea.
David Guttenfelder / AP
A hand print is left in the ash of a burned home on the island. All but a few of its nearly 14,000 residents have been evacuated to the South Korean mainland.
David Guttenfelder / AP
Radish stalks are left drying on a clothes line in a destroyed neighborhood on Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea, Nov. 26. The population of the island abandoned the island quickly after North Korea's attack, leaving behind their belongings, livelihood, produce, and pets.
David Guttenfelder / AP
A burned wall of a destroyed bar and restaurant is all that's left after the building was gutted when it took a direct hit from a North Korean shell.
David Guttenfelder / AP
A photo of Pope John Paul and a crucifix are left in a home on Yeonpyeong Island, Nov. 30.
David Guttenfelder / AP
A hole is left in a wall near the shoreline where a North Korean shell struck.
David Guttenfelder / AP
A mop lies near a pile of broken glass on the front steps of a restaurant on Yeonpyeong Island, South Korea, on Tuesday Nov. 30.
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When is the rest of the world going to stand up to this very dangerous, starving junkyard dog of a nation?
It's time to get rid of the bully.
We would be able to if we hadn't spent so much in Iraq. Our military has been stretched so thin we don't have the might to thump N. Korea in the head (and deal with China when they came to their rescue). The world know we've got more than our hands full and N. Korea can act out like a spoiled brat w/o consequences.
I think we still have the might to get rid of the NK. We could actually use our space age weapons instead of dropping them in the middle of some God-forbidden desert. Maybe after we deal with the commy's we can face our own worst enemy. OUR ECONOMY
No matter how, the world can't just negotiate with NK! NK promised again and again and again that it won't attack SK, but, did they make it? Their leader are playing, playing a real war game, war is their game, and people are their toys.
No peace with NK! Only WAR!
the state in power for the sake of being in power.
Those who have courage get ridiculed in America. Look at George Bush. He stood up against another bully... and won. In his own country he's painted as a war monger even though Iraq just formed a new representative government by election and not by dictatorship.
I was thinking the same thing. We dealt with a dictator who was a danger to his neighbors and was starving his own people. For the effort we were vilified international and later on domestically. Why would NK be any different? Truth is the left would turn against any action in NK just like they turned against the war in Iraq.
Why do we have to do it? The South Koreans are more than capable themselves, although we certainly should offer assistance. But AFAIK, the moment the North Koreans started shelling South Korean territory, the South Koreans should have returned fire and sent an invasion force marching all the way to Pyongyang! The failure to deal with this problem is a failure on the part of the South Korean government.
Make Love, not War.
frekin hippie
make war not love how you think U.S make money.
It's inconceivable that we have not already ended all trade with North Korea, imposing the strictest sanctions we possibly can, and ending all attempts at "diplomacy" with these radical communist dictators. Our war-mongering has left us broke and internationally unpopular. When a society has had enough torture and mistreatment by its leaders, it is THAT society's responsibility to rise the F&CK up and revolt. It is NOT our job to do it. We need to take care of our OWN and stop attempting to police the rest of the world. It really has not worked out for us, at all.
We must not be fooled about the U.S. and it's ability to defend. We have things the mind would not believe. We can destroy any country without nukes if need be. It's not a matter of troops on the ground. So I ask, where lies the problem.
“We need to take care of our OWN and stop attempting to police the rest of the world. It really has not worked out for us, at all.”
Taking care of our own and not interfering in foreign affairs has been tried before. After WWI we got all isolationist, the results were not pretty. The great depression (perhaps not as a result of our inaction but it certainly that inaction contributed) and the rise of Nazi German. You think we would have learned that simply sitting on the side line is not a good option either. A middle of the road approach seems to be the most effective. Caution and reluctance to act but acting none the less when needed. In this case it is in our best interest to act. While that may not be popular it’s the right thing to do.
The simple fact is that the DPRK is acting like a spoiled child, screaming to get attention. Its leadership suffers from a massive inferiority complex, and keeps attempting to be "seated at the adult's table" by sheer virtue of being the whiniest, rudest soverign state around. The problem is that the DPRK has a thug and a bully as its protector in the form of China, who continually launches attacks on developed world infrastructural elements, economy, and refuses to recognize trademarks, copyrights and patents while then re-selling illegally produced goods back to the developed world with toxic substances throughout without purpose.
When a popular child's toy (tiny beads, obviously going to be chewed on or swallowed) is filled with RoHypnol ("Rufies" - a date-rape drug that affects attention and neural function), while dolls and blocks and other toys meant for small children have measurable heavy metals content - which is not a factor in the normal fabrication using the same base materials....you can see that the Chinese are attacking our children in ways that will reduce their mental capacity. As a culture, the Chinese have a history of projects that will take many generations to reach fruition, and it is very likely they are working on an attack that could take 50, 100 even 200 years to damage and mentally cripple our children to gain a competitive advange. There is no other reason for such categorical introduction of mentally-affecting substances across such a broad range of products. Consider the rapid increase in autism and ADHD as an example of this attack's effect.
The DPRK needs to be wiped from the earth, but China must be dealt with first - and yet, they have been granted "Favored Trade" status and given economic advantages that domestic producers cannot even get. All the while, they launch attacks re-routing the Internet to their servers, intercepting all manner of intelligence information, and waging an ongoing and obvious war against our children. Until this thug is dealt with, the DPRK will continue to whine and hurl attacks at everyone, screaming for attention and festering like a boil.
North Korea has won.. they have long wanted this island and give it a few months and they can now move in
Why is it that the pets are always the ones left behind?
Because when you are running for your life, children and people are more important.
im sure you rather read...women and children were killed in the shelling but all the pets were saved duing the north korean shelling.
I agree 100% with you, Christine. If you can take your kids, you can take your pets, period.
Isn't that always the way? Most people think of their animals as property, not family, especially when you're talking about the more primitive parts of the world like the Koreas; where they're unnecessarily tortured for food, and all life is pretty cheap and meaningless, even their own.
Thankfully in many parts of the western world, it's now illegal to deliberately leave your pets behind.
@CHRIS PROCTOR:
"im sure you rather read...women and children were killed in the shelling but all the pets were saved duing the north korean shelling."
Yes, because that's what she said. Someone can state a known fact without getting a snide remark.
That's a very conditional statement... Say you had to choose between taking your kids OR your pets. Which would you choose?
And seriously, don't pretend that these people didn't have to make that choice. The island was being shelled for god's sake! Seriously! You hear explosions, you drop everything and grab:
A) Kid
B) Pet
Don't tell me you can carry a kid and a dog at the same time... absurd...
Have we not had enough of that creep CHU CHU BANG BANG (or whatever his stupid name is, et al; yes I know his real name...BTW). What more does he have to do before we say enough is enough? Nuclear Weapons anyone? Well we know for a fact he is attempting to gather some of them, I know that it is "against the law," for the U.S.A. to assassinate a leader of another country but hey we bend and construe the laws all the time to suit our needs and if there ever was a time when we needed it to be done, NOW is THAT TIME!!! The South Koreans heck the whole world is not safe with someone, that purposefully starves his own people to try and prove a point. Take him out and make it look like Russia did it...LOL~ Oh, wait we have done that one already haven't we? Certainly there is something we can do, Saddam did not even do half what this moron has done and we just let him keep getting away with, oh yeah, MURDER!!!
As much as I aggree with you, the unfortunate reality is that those in line to take over after he is gone are just as bad if not worse. We would basicly have to kill off all of their upper level government officials to take care of the problem. The odds of that are slim.
Its time for the U.S. to take out North Korea's "Nuclear Warheads, Facilities, Missiles and Leaders". While we're at it, lets go ahead and take out Iran's Nuclear Facilities and Leaders as well.
North Korea has broken our "Cease Fire Treaty" 100 times over, from Eisenhower to Obama. Enough is Enough. It could all be handled with a handful of the 1500lb "Bunker Busters". Its very clear that Diplomacy will not work with North Korea or Iran. I say take them out right now.
have you been in korea, I dont think so just not the nuclear site but bombard everything from the dmz to 30 kilometer inland or many people will die.
Are you seriously suggesting we kill millions upon millions of people? Millions of friendships, of bonds, of marriages, of schoolchildren... All of those lives... Have you no heart? Nuclear weapons are an abomination and should never have been invented. I don't understand why everyone just can't get along.
i served in south koera for three years and met some of the strongest and the most sincere people i have ever met. i once was with a lady friend during a air raid drill and she told me not to worry cause she wouldn't let the north koreans have me if they came...i was taken back by this and also she showed me loyalty. so if the the south koreans need us then we must stand by their side...... " a coward dies a thousands deaths but a soldier dies but once " tupac...... stand strong south korea your friends are here...north korea beware!!!!!
ssgt. reginald semiens.....ex marine/united states of america......
What's an Ex-Marine..Devil Dog pull your head out your ass..once a Marine always a Marine..
S/Sgt, if you were in the Corps Marines aren't soldiers.
I believe South Korea will prevail on this issue alone without our help!!!!!Recent history of our endeavor to help anyone in war only resulted in a lack of our nation to stand firm against the enemy especially when the body bags of our loved ones comes home. We are not the great and brave nation we once were prior to the 1950's and now we are just a bunch of cowards. Let's consider the background of our president we have elected who is head huncho of our military.......was he even in the boy scouts? We are doomed to be like the third world countries we had helped in the past and are acting like they never knew us..............
Thank you Reginald - for your Service and your words. My husband is currently serving in South Korea (MSgt USAF). I visited him this past summer, and yes - the people of South Koreaare very warm and sincere, and appreciate the presence of our US Troops. But yes, I just want him HOME !!!!
How much more does the south koera need to suffer before it takes real action against the north I say enough is enough it is time to show the north that they are wrong and just take them out now. and with the US behind the south the north will back down and stop all this crazy actions put the north in there place. Or under the dirt.
Unfortunately China is No Korea's "Big Brother" and China has purchased most of the US Debt and can at anytime call in it's credit marker. Humm so what you say, well because we dont manufacture anything for ourselves anymore it kinda puts us in a bind. Our government is too weak and our "Services" are spred too thin to win a 3 prong war now. Only 1 way to do it, but they dont have the intestinal fortatude to push the button.
Believer, some of your statements are simply not accurate. Although not insignificant by any means, China holds approximately 12% of our debt ($1.7T debt owned by China/$13.8T current national debt). That is hardly "most".
Even if they do "call the debt", what do you think is really going to happen? They will probably told to "get lost" because we can't write a check for $1.7T. We don't have it.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/mar/02/chinas-debt-to-us-treasury-more-than-indicated/
Believer in Himļ»æ - when you owe that bank enough money you own the bank. And are you suggesting we nuke NK? People seem to forget there are families with kids and lovers and sisters and brother who are trying to survive in NK and IRan...Nukes are not the answer. America is becoming a warmonger... 40% of our discretionary budget on weapons... 2 the rest of the world together... We also actually do manufacture quite a bit, but our politicians would have you believe otherwise...only a few months ago the largest exporter of goods was Germany, just overtaken by China... so if Germany can do it why not us?? NK will fall on its own.. lets just protect the SK and help them pick up the parts when it does fall.. same with Iran. 70% of pop is below the age of 25... it will change on its own... we should just keep our weapons out of the way and protect our allies...Defense is the best offense
Take out the NK extremists leaders and leave the real NK people alone. Nukes are not the answer here. Plus if you go blowing up NK don't ya think it will also hurt SK they are still attached ya know!
guts and the will to accept massive casualties.
There is a time for "guts" for us to use our military might to it's fullest, this however is not one of those times. If you think it through and you really understand what the use of a nuclear weapon would do to the world, both physically and politically no one but the most extreme would ever consider it.
First we can help S. Korea, give them what they need to win a war but does any sane, rational country/person want to be the ones to open the doorway to nuclear war? I know we have used the atom bomb, but at the time the world was struggling to end the second world war, and this is not that. Second nuclear weapons are far more powerful today, does the United States really want to be the country to give the rest of the world a free pass you use any nuclear weapons in any fight? Could we ever saw "don't do that" ever again if Russia or China were do nuke someone?
I have been a soldier for 11 years, i have been to the middle east 2 times in the last 5 years. The biggest fear i have and one i share with many others serving our country is when the wars are taken out of the hands of the soldier and reduce to the ease of pushing a button. Once a man or woman loses the ability to fight for what they believe in with their own hands because a single person can wipe out a country without ever getting dirty then real freedom is dead.
I admit we as a country have made mistakes, but using our nukes unless there is nothing else we can do is one we will never be forgiven, not by the world, or by our people.
It seems that North Korea took its lessons from George Orwell, and created the worst possible versions of his darkest visions...the state in power for the sake of being in power.
Ā more kills from NK, scare the heck out of the whole island....... and what SK is going to do about it? Not a thing.... what a coward nation.
coward? you have no clue of what you are talking about. this bolg should be made that you have to pass a I. Q. test before you can input. if this was the case, people like you would not be able to comment...STUPID!
Let's explore that idiotic remark...
America's DEMOCRATS were forcing the country into inaction over the German and Japanese military actions because they affected "someone else". There was no reason to get involved. Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of Great Britain kept appeasing Hitler instead of acting...because defense was better than offense...
Six years and MILLIONS of deaths later, America emerged as a world power. Isolationism killed us when the Japanese successfully attacked Pearl Harbor and destroyed most of the fleet there. Isolationism killed Europe when the blitzkrieg rolled over everything in front of it.
Defense is NEVER the strongest offense. History has proven that way too many times.
Sounds like someone is trying to be an armchair general without any knowledge or service. Playing too many video games again?
Joe, while I agree isolationism is NOT the answer I think we are well overextended. We don't NEED a presence in Europe (since the EU can police itself) nor do we NEED a presence in Japan. It seems once we fight and win we never go home. Honestly, the biggest reason we are in some of these countries is to prop up their economies. How much money do our service members spend on these economies?
I believe we should consolidate our military on OUR borders to help deter terrorists. When another nation needs our help, we go over in force and help. Afterward, we send the friendly nation the bill and go home. We need not stick around and rebuild or take on police actions.
I was USAF for 11 years did two tours in the Mid East and a tour in Korea.
Another perk of keep our service members on OUR borders is the money they are paid gets spent on American goods and services.
Kill em all, Let God sort them out.....That is the mentality that allowed us to win WWII, unfortunately the kahones & mentality of government have continuously gotten smaller and softer due to the "feel goodie two shoes & Politically Correct" media coverage that promotes singers that molest children as hero's when they die and soldiers that come home in caskets as villains.....Lot of things have gone wrong in our world since the PC thing started, not sure how "the right thing to do" isnt fair if the perpetrator of wrong doing isnt given more rights than their victims???? Then again I still believe in God!!!
Believer...get a clue. its very easy for you to say that if you are not the one fighting and dying there. Being strategically smart is different from "feel goodie two shoes & Politically Correct"..not sure who you are quoting...?? what does God have to do, im sure my god would not want the USof A to go Nuking countries because the may pose a threat.... what the f are you takinging about you moron?
dear leader needs his neck stretched!
I am tired of more deaths of south korea while the other soveriegn nations sit and watch. What about Desert Storm? When Iraq invaded Kuwait under some sycho leader over 30 countries came to the rescue and stopped the dispute in a matter of months. Is this so different? Do troops have to be on SK soil for us to do something about it.
If I had an army I would of stopped the Communists 60 bloody years ago!
Logan, there is no oil is South Korea. So there will be no troops there to protect them. Desert Storm was not about the invasion of Kuwait from another nation, there are invasions across those desert sands all the time. It was about losing the oil to a nation that was not friendly to the US.
FYI
there are U.S. troops in S. Korea, has been since the Korean War
You nailed that one on the head, Ferris. There is no oil there. Dem or Rep behind closed doors have to admit Iraq had less to do with liberating a suffering people and more to do with control of oil and a vendetta by the former president.
To Dan H, if we were running for our lives, I would grab any cat or dog and leave you to die.
When are you ass----- going to start treating all of God's creatures equal.
no one smiles
We keep forgetting what works in history. We nailed Gadolphi with three aircraft and stopped him in his tracks. Why not the same in NK?? Send in couple of our bombers and get the morons attention. Stop or else.
But no, we let the NK kill and do nothing but have a show of force that they laugh at. We gave them money in the past and they laughed, also. Many nations are bending to fear. No way to live and we dishonor the millions who died for freedoms sake. Send in a surgical strike for them to think about. Let's not keep kissing the behinds of the bad guys all over the world..out of constant fear. We are saving our land, but giving up our freedoms. Wake Up!!
I like learning from history. Surgical strikes on North Korean leaders extended to higher-ups would make a badly needed point. If others in power choose to disappear for ten years, let them.
Follow the surgical strike with pamphlet drops. Let North Korean people know there is a better way to live. Offer a recipe for a representative government, not so much a democracy. They may turn around to outshine the US with reborn freedoms.
North Korea is waiting for a response.
north korea ,what is your purpose?
are any of your people ? aware theres a big world out there ?
and your robbing there opertunity to go out there?
welcome to frown town!
isnt your country a prison ? one of the biggest koresh like componds in the world?
nk, welcome to frown town!
how much did we the us give n k ?
sounds like the north is to proud to thank us for anything we might have done for them,
if we did , money aid , at least for the people they do allow us to see on tv,
everyones looks so well fed, esspecially kim and his son, top shape!
"the state in power for the sake of being in power"
You do all realiz that NK has a million man army. Fourth largest in the world.
Well said, Seth. People don't realize the size of their army and the amount of loyalty they possess for their "dear leader". I live in South Korea and the U.S. military is appreciated here. There are thousands of NK people who are allowed to travel to SK and work, but then have to go back. I'm not sure why they would go back, but they do (because of the propaganda and brainwashing). Both NK and SK want a unified Korea, but it's the U.S. and China that are the puppet masters in this charade! In my opinion, China wants to rid itself of NK and let SK take control of the whole peninsula. NK is a scary place!
For Christine, they didn't have time to even pack before they evacuated. Their pets did not take priority over their family members. If we had to evacuate off the peninsula, there would be a lot of pets left behind because a human life is more imporant than a canine/feline. Also, not everyone eats dog here...it's a rare delicacy (an expensive one I might add) and most people don't eat it.
I agree with so many comments - you cannot trust a thing the NK say. I feel scared for the SK, however why is it always the US that has to come to the rescue? We have troops stationed in SKĀ and pray that something can be done to make all this in-fighting stop. Not all NK people are loyal to their evil, greedy leader. They don't have the freedom that we have.
For Christine - I here you. But not every nation treats their animals the way I do (and presumably you too).
It is time to remove these rat eating slant eyed basters off the face of thr planet. If China don't like it we stop importing all their products. We would kill two birds with one stone. Neither are any good and it would bring jobs back to us. If China want's to protect them we will treat them like the enemy which they truly are. They flood are country with inferior and poisoness products.
Racist much?
More country's than just the U.S. are concerned with N.Korea and the safety of S.Korea, you can count on back-up if the crapola hits the weather vanes.
Not true.
200,000 American serve in Iraq and Afghanistan.
10 from this country.
4 from that country.
500 from another country.
Great Britain actually delivers on its promise to help. Their troops kick ass.
Other nations do not really give anything to the war effort. They just think they do. Everyone depends on America to do the fighting for them. I've seen FRENCH troops who constantly complain about going outside the wire because they historically have never really had the stomach for fighting. Seems like the big white stripe at the center of their flag is there for a reason....The center of their military strategy is surrender and retreat.
When the US stops being the world's police force, maybe other countries will step in line and do what is right.
Million man army with antiquated hardware. South Korea has up to date equipment and 600 thousand under arms. Its not the numbers, its the training and equipment.
China should just allow the south to unify with the North. China has good relations with both. Their problem is that they (China) do not want to see U S troops on their southern border. That would make them feel encircled and threatened.
If China would allow the reunification, Southn Korea could ask the U S troops to leave and there fore not have our troops on China's border. That doesn't mean we have to terminate our alliance.
Its a question of which economic system is left behind. I dont think S.Korea wants to go communist, and I doubt China would allow N.Korea to become capitalist. Its why the defended the N.Korea in the first place, to defend communist. It is that fight between the two systems that divides the North and the South.
Good point, Freedom. I think re-unification would probably work like Germany. It would have to be phased and VERY controlled lest the South Korean economy collapsed. China is slowly warming up to the perks of capitalism but they will not allow communism across the border at night and wake up to a new Hong Kong in it's place the following morning.
Many people think the re-unification would work like Germany. However, it's more extreme. The costs to the South Koreans would be tremendous. They are even talking about a tax that they would need now to prepare for the cost of integration. (information from an article in the Wall Street Journal by Evan Ramstad on November 8,2010)