[johniegrad]

There wasn't very much information at the link about their economy. Is the implication being made that the south either cannot afford to go to war or that the infrastructure for war does not exist?

If either of these things are the issue, a counter strike that resulted in war would assume our assistance. I'm not sure we have the military capacity to engage in this. A nuke war might result if conventional forces are not adequate.

And China in that event?

[ichabod1]

I’m pretty sure we have the military capacity. But SK has to know that we very likely do not have the political capacity.

[Pikachu_Dad]

It means that they have an entire city worth of people living in harms way of a enormous number of mortars and artillery.

It means that they suspect that the attacker is already on a war footing and that they are clearly not. So any war that they provoke right now would result in heavy initial losses.

[Pikachu_Dad]

once they make the accusation, they are obligated to declare war.

they had better be sure of their allies positions (big 0) before they trigger something.

especially if the twerps might just have a nuke.