By Kang Hyun-kyung

President Lee Myung-bak said Monday that South Korea has strong military and incomparable weapons that can thwart any hostile acts by North Korea.

Lee sent the message tailored for the reclusive nation amid mounting tension after the North unsuccessfully attempted to launch a satellite on April 13, and warned South Korea for “insulting” the regime.

“There will be a strong, unmistakable countermeasure from our side, if North Korea makes any provocative acts against us,” Lee emphasized while meeting with senior members of the National Unification Advisory Council.

The President noted South Korea has strong military and formidable weapons and is ready to take countermeasure against the North, if that is what it takes to deter the Stalinist country.

Lately, the North has warned of unspecified “special actions” against South Korea, President Lee and some groups here who criticized the abortive satellite launch.

President Lee urged the North Korean regime not to waste money launching rockets, which could have been used to feed its citizens for nearly two years.

Pyongyang was furious about the remarks. It claimed Lee and some South Korean media had insulted the North Korean leader, adding this was unacceptable.

The North has not clarified what actions it will take, but said the new attack can be done within three or four minutes.

President Lee’s warning came amid escalating tension after the North’s newest threat.

During a meeting with his advisors on North Korea, Lee urged the North to join the global wind of change that has been underway in the Arab World.

“In an age of information, a wave of change is occurring in North Africa and Syria and this has had a spillover effect on Myanmar in Asia as well. The ongoing change is a global trend, and therefore no one can deter or reverse it, no matter how powerful their weapons are,” he said.

President Lee said nations possess weapons for deterrence, not to destroy the world or other nations.

“Weapons, no matter how powerful or formidable they are, turned out to be useless against a revolutionary change,” he said.

“China has changed. So did Eastern Europe in the 1990s. The long-serving military regime in Egypt, which had been regarded as unlikely to change, was toppled. Egypt has changed and is scheduled to hold democratic elections in the near future,” he said.