South Korean Navel Vessel Sunk

The demarcation line between North and South Korea in the West Sea has always been disputed with both nations claiming a group of small islands which are divided by the internationality recognized border. Over the years there have been numerous naval engagements involving these islands with deaths on both sides.

South Korea is investigating whether a naval ship sinking off the west coast of the peninsula was hit by a torpedo fired by the North.

The 1,500-ton vessel, which had more than 100 people on board, started sinking between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. local time (8 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET) near the island of Baengnyeong in the Yellow Sea. There were unconfirmed reports it had already sunk.

This incident comes just one day after the North Korean government had issued threats against the United States and South Korea for making contingency plans in the case of a crises or the collapse of the North Korean government.