[Pan_Yan]

The big ‘IF’ seems to be, as always, what will China do if South Korea actually retaliates? China is South Korea’s largest trading partner by a huge margin.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Once hell breaks loose(SK going for real reprisal,) China will get powerless. Sure they can impose economic sanction on S. Korea and turn it into a toast. So what? It will only make S. Korea angrier. It will naturally lead to loud call for S. Korea's own nuclear bombs. By then, it is likely that S. Korea would be led by a military strongman again.