North Korea can't win. It's just the insane amount of damage they can do that's the problem.
Seoul being held hostage is a major problem but good luck to the North Koreans after they flatten that, because on the counter attack after the North Korean army dissolves in South Korea (and there will be a counter attack, a massive one) North Korea will turn into a massive graveyard. Those South Korean soldiers and Marines going up north, more than half of those people would have either lost a family member or would have serious reason to believe they've lost a family member. If they threw chemical weapons at Seoul I wouldn't let any North Korean in my eyesight survive. Try telling us to not kill North Koreans and chances are you'll end up dead too.
If the North Koreans use nukes or other WMDs, the US gets the green light to use them as well. Whether you guys will use 'em I don't know but the thing is, it becomes an option.
Funny thing is people don't realize that South Korea is a pretty wealthy country with a decent military (except us Marines who don't get squat). Compared with the stuff the North Koreans got, our stuff is way better. The only reason why we even keep some of the older hardware around is because the North Koreans have even older and even crappier weapons at their disposal.
Remember guys, I actually serve here.

And the difference being those who run South Korea care about their Civlian Population a lot more than those who run North Korea care about the North Korean Civilian Population.

Well damn, if I was in South Korea I'd definitely invest in a gas mask and some protective gear. Maybe build a lil bomb shelter in the back packed with MREs.

Originally Posted by WNxRogue

There is no way that the ROC and the US could hope to defeat the North Koreans. Even estiamtes by American experts hold that Seoul would fall in less than 3 weeks. The only thing that can be hoped for is an uneasy truce on both sides until the North Korean regime collapses or weakens incredibly.

Would you care to post the "American experts." The trip from the DMZ to Seoul is not necessarily a Yellow Brick Road. The biohazards and stench from the rotting bodies would probably be the main reason for evacuating Seoul.