South Korean Naval Exercises Begin

This is how messages are sent on the peninsula:

SEOUL — South Korea kicked off one of its largest-ever naval exercises on Thursday in waters near a disputed western sea border with North Korea, despite the North’s threat to retaliate by attacking the South’s warships participating in the drill.

The exercises took place where a South Korean navy ship was blown in two in March, killing 46 sailors. South Korea blames North Korea for the sinking and demands an apology. The North denies involvement.

In an island near the site of the sinking of the warship Cheonan, South Korean marines fired their artillery in the first day of training aimed at searching and destroying enemy submarines, said officials the Office of Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul. Twenty-nine ships, such as submarines and destroyers, and 50 fighters, anti-submarine helicopters and other aircraft joined the operations.

Of course North Korea denies any involvement with the Cheonan.