South Korea's new defence minister has vowed a tougher response in case of another North Korean attack, vowing "we need to hit back multiple times as hard", a news report said Saturday.
Kim Kwan-Jin's reported comments came after the hardline communist state on Tuesday launched a barrage of shells onto a South Korean island, killing four people, including two marines whose funerals were held Saturday.
Kim, 61, was named Friday to replace Kim Tae-Young, who resigned following media and parliamentary criticism that South Korea was too soft in its response to the attack, returning artillery fire but not launching air strikes.
"We need to deal with North Korea's provocations strongly," the newly named minister was quoted as telling presidential aides by the conservative Chosun Ilbo newspaper. "We need to hit back multiple times as hard."
Several newspapers called for the country to step up military spending and reform its armed forces as it faces off with North Korea. The two sides never formally signed a peace treaty after their 1950-53 war.
The English-language Korea Herald said troops on the island that was attacked "were found to be not adequately equipped to effectively retaliate against the North's deadly artillery attack".
The paper said that "the South should secure overwhelming firepower and allow fighter jets to launch counter-attacks against the North's attacks".
The Korea JoongAng Daily said that "the military's credibility and potency has become highly questionable as it scurries and scrambles in the face of bolder provocation from the North".
"Our government, people and the military have all underestimated North Korea's military power due to its battered economy."
The Korea Times argued that "the sacking of defence minister Kim Tae-Young should be the start of the wholesale revamping of the troubled military".
It added: "Without cheering soldiers amid reform, the nation will face the repetition of humiliation in the face of North Korea's military adventurism."
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