Choi Jong-kun, an international relations professor at Seoul's Yonsei University, thinks the declaration that Pyongyang violated international law is mainly for the consumption of angry South Koreans.
VOA: standard.2009.09.11
Hwang Sang-min, a professor of psychology at YonseiUniversity in Seoul, argues that Korean society's strong focus on appearances having the right education, job or perceived level of success is a big factor in the high suicide rate.
"The point they're trying to make is the leadership is pretty stable, " said Choi Jong-kun, professor of international relations at YonseiUniversity in Seoul.
That tough stance, while worrying to some, is likely to be a kind of "pre-emptive rhetorical deterrence", according to analysts such as John Delury, a professor of International Studies at Seoul's YonseiUniversity.