Deadly sea battle

last updated 8 January 2015

Pyongyang, North Korea

North Korean gunboats sank a South Korean frigate this week, killing four sailors in the two countries’ worst clash in three years. The skirmish came just a day after the U.S. said it wanted to send a delegation to North Korea for talks on easing tensions. After South Korea demanded an apology, the North Korean government blasted the U.S., which has some jurisdiction over South Korean forces, for trying to “push relations to the brink of war.” Then, as if to confirm its reputation for unpredictability, Pyongyang sent congratulations to South Korea for reaching the final four in the World Cup soccer championship.