韩国国防部长已经辞职。目前各方纷纷批评韩国对朝鲜的炮击缺乏准备。朝鲜周二炮击韩国，打死四人，并摧毁了数十座房屋。
朝鲜对黄海上一个韩国岛屿发起炮击后，韩方没有做出有效反击，从而使韩国的军事姿态受到密切关注。
这种不作为打破了首尔方面做出的誓言。3月份韩国一艘军舰被鱼雷击沉后，韩国政府曾誓言将严阵以待朝方以后的攻击，并将作出有力还击。
刚刚辞职的韩国国防部长金泰荣(Kim Tae-young)表示，周二朝方发动炮击后，韩方没有出动强大的空军予以还击，以免引发一场全面战争，但这种不作为在首尔引发了担忧：胆子越来越大的平壤方面可能会图谋发动进一步袭击。
首尔方面誓言要加强防御，并提升其交战规则，尤其是在平民受到攻击的情况下。不过，韩国官员无法说明何时会发起报复性打击，或者他们如何能在不引发战争的情况下作出回应。
“朝鲜这次的炮击是一次针对我方平民和领土的攻击，因此影响格外严重，”韩国总统李明博(Lee Myung-bak)表示。他补充说，加强防御可能意味着增加军事支出。
总统府一名发言人表示，李明博接受了金泰荣的辞呈，“以改善军内气氛，并处理这一系列事件”。
朝鲜声称，它周二是针对韩方攻击作出的回应，但平壤的通讯社发布的照片显示，该国领导人金正日(Kim Jong-il)与一批高级军官在炮击前视察了炮兵阵地附近的一个养鱼场。
朝鲜已发出威胁，如果遭到进一步“挑衅”（据信这是指美韩即将在黄海有争议水域举行的联合海军演习），它将发动更多打击。美国正派遣一艘航空母舰前往该地区，以展示美韩团结。
美国正力促中国约束朝鲜。中国也改变了语调。中国总理温家宝表示，北京方面反对朝鲜半岛上的“任何军事挑衅行为”。中方对本次美韩黄海军演的反应也更为克制。中国曾对今夏的类似军演作出愤怒反应，称其危及中国安全。
李明博表示，这次他期望从中国得到更大合作；今年早些时候韩国军舰被击沉后，中国拒绝在联合国安理会谴责朝鲜。
“首先，朝鲜公开了此前曾否认的一个高度浓缩铀项目。其次，朝鲜承认了其挑衅行为。有鉴于此，我期望中国与我方合作，”李明博表示。
译者/何黎
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001035752
South Korea’s defence minister has resigned amid a wave of criticism that the country had been unprepared for a North Korean bombardment on Tuesday that killed four people and destroyed dozens of houses.
Seoul launched no effective counter-attack to the North Korean shelling of an island in the Yellow Sea, putting South Korea’s military posture under intense scrutiny.
The inaction broke pledges made by Seoul, after one of its warships was torpedoed in March, that it would be ready for subsequent attacks and would respond forcefully.
Kim Tae-young, the departing defence minister, said South Korea had not used its formidable air force after Tuesday’s attack so as to avoid sparking a full war, but the inaction has triggered concerns in Seoul that an emboldened Pyongyang might attempt further attacks.
Seoul has vowed to bolster its defences and sharpen its rules of engagement, particularly when civilians are attacked. However, South Korean officials were unable to say when would retaliate or how they could respond without triggering a war.
“North Korea’s shelling this time has been an attack against civilians and our territory. Accordingly, it has especially grave implications,” said Lee Myung-bak, South Korea’s president, adding that improving defences could demand increased military spending.
Mr Lee had accepted Mr Kim’s resignation “to improve the atmosphere in the military and to handle the series of incidents”, a presidential spokesman said.
North Korea had claimed it was responding to a South Korean attack on Tuesday, but photographs released by Pyongyang’s news agency show Kim Jong-il, the country’s leader, with senior military officers visiting a fish farm near the gunnery placements before the bombardment.
North Korea has threatened more strikes if it suffers further “provocations” – thought to be a reference to forthcoming US-South Korean naval exercises in disputed waters in the Yellow Sea. In a display of solidarity with Seoul, the US is sending an aircraft carrier to the area.
China, which the US is pressing to rein in Pyongyang, offered a change of tone, with Wen Jiabao, the premier, saying Beijing opposed “provocative military behaviour” on the Korean peninsula. Beijing’s response to the Yellow Sea exercises is more restrained than its angry reaction to similar drills over the summer, which China said endangered its security.
Mr Lee said he expected more co-operation from China than was received after the sinking of the warship, when Beijing refused to condemn North Korea at the United Nations Security Council.
“First, the North has unveiled a highly enriched uranium programme that it had previously denied. Second, the North admitted its provocation. Considering this, I expect China to work together with us,” he said.
http://www.ftchinese.com/story/001035752/en
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