Even without nuclear weapons, Mr Kim in effect holds the South Korean capital, Seoul, hostage: his conventional rockets and artillery could rapidly flatten much of the city, killing tens of thousands.

• 即使没有核武器，事实上，金正日还有南朝鲜首都首尔这个筹码：他的常规火箭和炮兵就能迅速夷平这个城市的大部，杀死数万人。