General Kim Kwan-Jin, South Korea's new Minister of Defense: "'No limit' to S.Korea's retaliation"

AFP ^ | December 4, 2010 | AFP

[EnjoyingLife]

"If North Korea launches another military attack on our territory and people, we must swiftly and strongly respond with force and punish them thoroughly until they surrender," the new defence minister said.

"We do not want war, but we must never be afraid of it," he said, adding South Korea faces "the worst crisis since the Korean War," which ended in an armistice in 1953.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Why wait ?

[KoRn]

I wonder when they’ll start defending themselves?

Tomorrow? Next week? Next year?

[Raymann]

BTW, his last job was the chairman of the Korean Joint Chiefs, then again, his predecessor worked for them as well.

[Bon mots]

Meanwhile, the Obummer administration calls for "Diplomacy". The Obama administration is the one that said that they would not even retaliate with nukes for a nuke attack on an American city.

Just what "Dear Leader" needed to hear.
Nice going Obama.

[Yo-Yo]

South Korea has a lot more to lose in a shooting war than North Korea. Look at how close Seoul is to the border.

[Venturer]

Right now it’s a contest opf words, but this thing could become serious real quick.

Of course the real threat is not North Korea, they are small potato’s. Chinese reaction is what will tell the tale.

[huldah1776]

So move the DMZ a couple of hundred miles to the north.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Unless the ROK takes out the rockets and howitzers aimed at Seoul in the first hour of war, Seoul will suffer huge damage.

[PoloSec]

Just do it already! The time is right don’t let it pass.

[Flag_This]

"Unless the ROK takes out the rockets and howitzers aimed at Seoul in the first hour of war, Seoul will suffer huge damage."

Sucks to be them. In retrospect, maybe rebuilding and expanding a city within artillery range of an undefeated fanatical enemy wasn't so swift.

[MattinNJ]

South Korean buddy of mine says this is due to the pending eruption on Mt Baekdu in North Korea. It was dormant volcano for 1,000 years but is now about to blow with massive consequences. Most of North Korea will be buried in ash and it could close down ports in Russia and Japan. The North Koreans need somewhere to go.

I was skeptical and Googled a few articles and I think he's right. Any FReepers with insight?

[The Comedian]

Yeah, boy, good thing I'm wearing my Sunday best or I'd show you retaliation, yes sirree...

The NK goon squad is laughing their whiskey-soaked, Rolls Royce-driving a$$es off.

Frowning takes 68 muscles.
Smiling takes 6.
Pulling this trigger takes 2.
I'm lazy.

[GAB-1955]

I believe that China has made it clear to South Korea the conditions under which they will tolerate a takeover of the North. These include keeping U.S./Japanese forces south of the current DMZ.

China will mobilize to keep refugees out of their country, but not help Kim Jong-Il or Grandson Kim.

They will have to figure that bringing North Korea into the 1960s will cost South Korea too much money. It will make German unification look easy.

[GAB-1955]

Seoul as a pile of rubble would be a defender's dream. There would be lots of places to fire antitank rockets at the Nork T-54s. The Norks would be moving like trees planting roots (quoting Eric Flint and David Drake's Belisarius books)