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Last week the conservative daily newspaper JoongAng Ilbo reported that..
Seoul Has Plans to Attack N. Korean Nuclear Sites (*)
"The South Korean military is prepared to launch a pre-emptive attack on North Korea’s nuclear installations if they become a military threat, Gen. Kim Tae-young, the newly designated chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a hearing yesterday.

It was the first time the military has confirmed contingency plans for a pre-emptive attack on Pyongyang’s nuclear facilities and comes as Seoul’s new conservative government is being closely watched for signs of how it will approach North Korea."

Now Yonhap yesterday reported that..
North Korea's military said Saturday that South Korea should retract its top military official's remark about an attack on the communist nation and apologize for it, threatening to suspend all inter-Korean dialogues and contacts.

On Wednesday, Gen. Kim Tae-young, the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the South would strike the North's nuclear sites if the communist country attacks the South with nuclear weapons.

"These outbursts are the gravest challenge ever in the history of the inter-Korean relations and a reckless provocation little short of a war declaration against us," the North's military said in a notice sent to the South's chief delegate to inter-Korean general-level military talks, according to the (North) Korean Central News Agency.

"We will counter any slightest move of the South side for 'preemptive attack' with more rapid and more powerful preemptive attack of its own mode," it said.

The communist state's military went on to say that if the South does not retract the call for a "preemptive attack" and apologize, it will lead to the suspension of all inter-Korean dialogues and contacts...

And Korea Herald wrote yesterday that..
..The ministry plans to decide by Tuesday whether to make an official reply to the North's demand.

"We don't know how to react to the North's claim now because we haven't decided yet whether to send a reply to the North. If we reply, it would contain our position that the North's claim is not true. We may express regret over the North's falsified argument," a ministry official said...

And the same newpaper reported today: Despite burgeoning tension on the Korean peninsula from North Korea's escalating threats, South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak and his ministers appear calm, if not nonchalant.

On Sunday when North Korea's military warned of a preemptive strike in retaliation of South Korea's alleged provocations, Lee stopped over at Cheong Wa Dae's press room after playing a few games of tennis, and mainly discussed his plans for overseas visits.

Unification Minister Kim Ha-joong reportedly went to church (well, that's really important!!!) before coming into office later in the afternoon to have consultations over the latest development. Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan, in the meantime, was busy tending to his foreign guests, playing a round of golf with visiting former Florida governor Jeb Bush, brother of U.S. President George W. Bush... (oops~ I think there in no further comment neccessary!!^^)

The low-key moves by Lee and his team appeared to be clearly in line with the South Korean government's new policy goal to drastically change the dialogue pattern with North Korea...

At the same time, yesterday (Sunday), the rulers in NK were not playing a round of golf, were not praying in the church! Instead they published a new (not really^^) "promise", according to KCNA: "They (likely they mean the LeeMB gang) should bear in mind that once the more powerful preemptive strike of our own mode be launched, it will not merely plunge everything into flames but reduce it to ashes" (harrharr~ like usual: empty blabla.. - hopefully!!)

Related articles:
☞ North Steps Up Criticism of South (K. Times, 3.30)

☞ N. Korea 'will turn South to ash' (al-Jazeera, 3.31)

☞ Continuing Threat from NK... What Is Next? (DailyNK, 3.31)

* But, as it is well known, NK's nuklear sites (except Yongbyeon) are located deep in the (north-eastern) mountains.. And to strike against this sites/targets in NK the S. Korean military must have very "advanced", "sophisticated" weapons - powerful bombs very near to small nuclear bombs..