SEOUL: South Korea Friday threatened to bomb North Korea if it tries a repeat of last week's attack, raising its rhetoric after the United States warned of an “immediate threat” from Pyongyang. Kim Kwan-jin, a retired general, was speaking at a parliamentary meeting confirming him as new defense minister. “If there are further provocations, we will definitely use aircraft to bomb North Korea,” Kim said when asked how he would respond to another attack after last week's North Korean bombardment of an island near their disputed border, killing two South Korean marines and two civilians. The North has more than 5,000 multiple-launch rockets pointed at Seoul which, with its satellite cities, is home to some 25 million people. South Korea has about 490 combat aircraft. Recent opinion polls show that most South Koreans think Seoul should have retaliated with more venom last week, prompting an increase in tough rhetoric from the government.
