Surprising South Korea Stats

I was debating with a long-time reader on the sensibility of South Korea attacking North Korea and putting an end to the Korean War now — rather than later — because of various strategic benefits I feel to exist.

However, one thing we both agreed on was that such a South-Korean-initiated fight would not happen: South Koreans don't have the stomach for a hot war.

Wrong.

45 percent of South Koreans support a stern response to the artillery attack "even if it would escalate arms clash with North Korea," according to The Korea Times. ... But If there is another attack, these responses suggests around three in four South Koreans would support military response.

In this other article, a post-attack analysis proves that North Korea may be even weaker and inept than analysts originally thought:

South Korea's military concludes the attack was meticulously planned, although much more damage would have been caused if the North's equipment wasn't so old and faulty. A high-ranking South Korean military official said that North Korea used thermobaric bombs, or "fuel-air bombs," to wreak havoc on Yeonpyeong Island, the first time it has done so.

The South Korean military is examining around twenty North Korean shells that failed to explode and were found lodged in concrete walls and in tree branches. Eighty of the 170 shells fired managed to land on the island. Roughly 90 rounds fell into the sea.

The number of duds is expected to increase, as troops are still combing the island for shells. South Korean authorities believe the duds and the shells that failed to reach the island were the result of North Korea's aged equipment or flawed gunpowder and detonators.

Think about that: 170 shells fired on a completely unsuspecting population with what was termed "meticulous planning": almost two thirds of those fired shells failed to work properly, and those that did work caused only 4 deaths? Do you think North Korea used such unreliable, ineffective, inaccurate weaponry on purpose? I don't. I think that's the best they have. It is what I've suspected for a while... and again, is the reason why South Korea should take out North Korea now before the North manages to cobble together a nuclear weapon that might actually work.

In this article, Popular Mechanics busts the theory that North Korea could "flatten" Seoul in a surprise attack.