Seoul, South Korea (CNN) -- A few months ago, most South Koreans would have laughed at a question that now looms large in their minds: "Will there be a second Korean War?"
Living for decades through missile launches, naval skirmishes and nuclear tests conducted by their troublesome neighbor North Korea, South Koreans learned to brush things aside and move on with their daily lives.
Pyongyang became more like a bothersome brother than an enemy nation -- especially to a younger generation that had never seen battles fought at home.
But that changed instantly on November 23, after North Korea's shelling of Yeonpyeong Island killed four South Koreans.
Grainy security camera footage showing people fleeing for their lives sent chills down people's backs. It showed them that North Korea remains an immense -- and nearby -- threat. CNN
