The American Spectator

It’s still unclear what the long term implications are of the North Korean shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, but a pair of recent polls suggest one thing is for sure — the attack has made South Korans decidedly more hawkish.

Back in April, after the North Koreans sunk the South Korean Naval ship, less than 30 percent of the public supported a military response. Yet now, nearly 70 percent of South Koreans say they support at least limited military action, according to poll results reported by the newspaper Chosunilbo.

Also in April, the public was divided on whether the South Korean government handled the situation adequately, but now, just 24 percent say the government responded adequately, while 72 percent said they did not.

A separate poll found that 80 percent of South Koreans said the military should have responded more strongly.

The public reaction would seem to suggest that the government will be under significant political pressure to respond  more aggresively to the next provocation by the North.