A New York Times story reports that South Korea has warned the North that it is prepared to launch a conventional pre-emptive strike upon "clear indications" that the North is preparing a nuclear attack. In response to last week's threat that the North would launch "a holy war to blow away" the South, South Korea's defense minister said:
A nuclear attack from the North would cause too much damage for us to react. We must detect signs, and if there is a clear sign of attack, we must immediately strike. Unless it’s a case where we would sustain an attack but still could counterattack, we must strike first.
Bottom Line. The South's policy is far easier said than done. Strategic surprise is rarely detected in advance. And with Seoul hostage to massive artillery fire, the South's capital would be leveled within hours, even absent nuclear weapons. Stalin's satanic step-child continues to cause trouble 65 years after its misbegotten birth.
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