This article is about the recent conflict between North Korea and South Korean island of Yeonpyeong, near a disputed maritime border. According to analysts, this is one of the worst clashes since the Korean war ended. It is said that at least 50 North Korean shells had started falling in the waters and landed directly on the island of Yeonpyeong at 1434 local time (0534 GMT), most of them hitting a South Korean military base there. Many were injured and the island's residents were evacuated to shelters. The South's military fired back 80+ shells.
Earlier, the president's office said that North Korea's shelling of Yeonpyeong island constitutes a clear armed provocation whereas North Korea's supreme military command blamed South Korea for the incident, saying that The South Korean enemy had committed military provocations of firing artillery shells into their maritime territory near Yeonpyeong island earlier that day. However, South Korean military officials later said that it had been conducting regular military drills in the sea off Yeonpyeong before the incident, and that no fire was aimed towards North Korea. There was more condemnation of North Korea from Russia, EU and the UK, although China - the North's main ally - refused to apportion blame.
Full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11818005
Related: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704369304575631990334666872.html
Personal Commentary:
In my opinion, I think that the importance in conflicts like this to not push the blame on either party and also not to find out who is the ultimate one 'responsible' for the occurrence of the conflict. Countries involve in the conflict should, in fact try to do more to contribute to peace and help restore their own country instead as blaming each other after such conflicts does not do anything to help the situation. Moreover, if the countries' government start to comment things like "Country A is responsible for the conflict and we have no wrong." openly on press conferences etc., it leads the people to have a misconception of what is really happening and contributes to the escalating of the already tense relationship between both countries (eg. North and South Korea).
As mentioned above, both countries were blaming each other for the conflict and in fact, if there has to be someone responsible, I think that both countries are responsible for this tense relationship (hence indirectly leading to this conflict) with each other since many decades ago due to various reasons because after all, it takes two hands to clap. Also, this 'blaming' also increases the vulnerability of a country as others might use this bad relationship between these countries to start more conflicts and escalate the tension.
I do agree that an already-tense relationship over a stretch of many years is not easy to improve and people will take an even longer time to make peace as the concept of North/South Koreans being "arch-enemies" have been so familiar in their hearts (most of the conflicts of the North/South Korea are caused due to the conflict of ideology led by the differences in value and belief).
However, I also believe that as long as the government of both South and North Korea were to take steps and implement policies related to deterrence and diplomacy, the protection of their countries will definitely be improved (less vulnerable to external threats and more friendly ties with other countries) and this gives the people a sense of security and develops their loyalty to their own country. Also, with diplomacy (and bilateral ties) instilled, it will benefit both countries as they will be able to have a better trade relationships (economy can improve) as well as to promote political, economical and cultural ties between each other. This will hence help in the long run to lessen the tension between them and hence reduce the impact of the conflict in ideology.
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