The Iowa State Daily’s editorial “We’ve got Seoul but we’re not soldiers” omits two important facts.

Fact one: South Korean military drills preceded North Korea’s attack on Yeonpyeong Island. These drills included the firing of artillery shells into disputed waters just miles off the coast of North Korea. So it is incorrect to state that the North’s attacks were unprovoked, certainly when the North warned that it would respond if the South continued its military drills.

Fact two: South Korea did not restrain itself after the attack. The South’s government responded by firing howitzers and dispatching fighter jets. But the Daily’s editorial makes it sound as if South Korea responded with only a promise of retaliation.