South Korea's military will revise its rules of engagement to respond more strongly to North Korean attacks following the deadly shelling of a border island this week, the presidential office said Thursday.
Ground forces will be "drastically" reinforced, including those on five frontline islands near the disputed Yellow Sea border, the office said after an emergency security meeting chaired by President Lee Myung-Bak.
"We should never let our guard down in preparation for the possibility of any provocation by North Korea," Lee told the meeting.
"Such belligerence as we just experienced may happen any time in the future."
The office said in a statement it would prioritise spending to deal with the North's "asymmetrical threats" and a 2006 plan to cut the size of the Marine Corps would be scrapped.
The "existing rules of engagement, which are seen as being rather passive, will be completely revised", it said.
The new rules "should reflect a paradigm shift in responding to North Korea's provocations in the future.
"For instance, the revision will include different levels of counter-attack depending on whether attacks are targeted against civilians or the military."
Tuesday's bombardment killed two civilians along with two marines and shattered many homes and other buildings.
South Korean officials said it was the first shelling of civilian areas in the South since the 1950-53 war.
The government said it would review aid to the North from private civic groups more strictly "considering public sentiment" and would seek international cooperation to urge North Korea to change its attitude.
"Especially, diplomacy toward China will continue with the aim of encouraging it to play a constructive role and make contributions", the statement said.
China, the North's sole major ally and economic prop, has not joined numerous other countries in condemning the artillery attack.
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