Last month, a poll revealed that a majority of Americans are supporting military action against North Korea for the first time. Should diplomatic efforts fail, there is no doubt that the United States possesses the capabilities to successfully strike Pyongyang’s nuclear infrastructure. However, a retaliatory strike from North Korea is highly likely, and even if this is by one of the Intercontinental ballistic missile The country's conventional artillery is extremely powerful and also poses a significant threat, which could emerge from the regimes.

Although a large part of North Korea's military consists of outdated Soviet equipment from the Cold War era, the Korean People's Army's Artillery Command possesses approximately 12,000 pieces of tube artillery and an additional 2,300 multiple rocket launchers. Some of these systems are capable of striking Seoul, although it is believed that the northern outskirts of the city would primarily come under fire in the event of hostilities. Some studies have predicted the annihilation of the South Korean capital in the event of war, although it is more likely that some of its districts would be severely damaged and there would be significant civilian casualties.

The initial choice ofTargeting North Korea would prove decisive in any conflict. The regime might opt to attack military targets beyond the DMZ or deal a hammer blow to South Korea through massive civilian casualties and economic damage. In the latter strategy, the North's artillery positions would be vulnerable to US and South Korean counter-artillery fire or airstrikes.

The following infographic is based on Stratfor investigations and shows how concentrated North Korean artillery fire could be in a new conflict on the peninsula. The scenario takes into account the known and expected positions of North Korean artillery batteries and assumes a situation where all of the North's systems fire simultaneously and without failure. The border area could be saturated with North Korean shells, while parts of Seoul and Incheon Airport would also fall within range of some of Pyongyang's systems.

The 2010 attack on Yeonpyeong Island highlighted the danger posed by North Korean artillery. During this incident, North Korean shells landed on a South Korean island, killing four people and injuring 19 others. Should the US decide to strike Pyongyang's nuclear facilities, the regime's artillery will always ensure it has a devastating retaliatory card to play in a war.