[GingisK]

Yes, there are rocket-assisted munitions. History has proven that lots of artillery doesn’t necessarily assure large enemy casualties. Please recall the poundings we gave the Japanese before each landing in WWII, only to find them still ready for a big fight. Ditto the beaches of Normandy. Ditto Stalingrad.
For the hidden guns, we now have large aperture radar and earth penetrators, something not available in WWII.

[topher]

The concern, as I understand it, is that North Korea would target civilians in Seoul, South Korea. Firing a rocket with a chemical warhead to Japan would target Japanese civilians.

I believe that is constraining our military options -- the fact that North Korea would target civilians.

There were estimates, at one time, of one million dead civilians in Seoul, South Korea.

Then there is the Winter Olympics scheduled in a few months in South Korea.

Basically, the Olympic site is about the same distance from the DMZ as Seoul in.

Also, I am not much of an expert in these matters.

I did, however, read the official US Naval History of World War II by Samuel Morrison -- which was interesting reading...