S. Korea capable of counterattack against N. Korea: defense chief

SEOUL, April 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top defense official said Monday his
country has the ability to retaliate in kind should North Korea provoke by
assaulting Seoul with its artillery.
The comments by Defense Minister Lee Sang-hee came after North Korea warned
Saturday that "Seoul is just 50 km away" from the border, apparently highlighting
its capability to threaten the densely populated South Korean capital with its
frontline armory.
"Even though Pyongyang is 150 km from us, it is only a number, and numbers do not
mean much," Lee told a parliamentary hearing. "Our military is ready to
immediately retaliate under the combined readiness with the United States against
any provocation."
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against
North Korea, and monitor the movement of North Korean artillery and other
mechanized forces.
South and North Korea remain technically in a state of war after their 1950-53
Korean War ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty. They are set to hold
their first official talks in a year in the North Korean border city of Kaesong
on Tuesday, but their relations remain at the lowest point in a decade.
Lee said the possibility of North Korea provoking anywhere along the border
continues, especially as the communist country has warned of an armed conflict
near their western sea border this year.
South Korea can effectively respond "whether North Korea provokes limited or
full-scale warfare," Lee said.
North Korea has nearly 1.2 million troops while South Korea, considered better
equipped, has 655,000 soldiers.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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