S Korea holds live-fire drills and warns of more launches by North
4 Sep 2017 6:45 PM GMT
Tokyo: South Korea has carried out a simulated attack on North Korea's nuclear test site in a huge show of force after Pyongyang detonated what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb.
Seoul has also approved the complete deployment of a US anti-missile system in another sign it intends to address North Korean provocations with reminders of its own military firepower, while keeping the door open to dialogue.
South Korean intelligence officials said there were indications that the North was preparing to test fire another ballistic missile, though they did not say when they believed the launches would take place.
The army and air force drills, held at an undisclosed location on Monday morning, involved launching ballistic missiles in a simulated strike against North Korea's Punggye-ri nuclear test site – the scene of Sunday's controlled detonation of what Pyongyang claimed was a powerful hydrogen bomb capable of being loaded on to an intercontinental ballistic missile.
South Korean forces conducted the drill alone, but further joint exercises are planned with the US in an attempt to remind the North of the firepower ranged against it, according to South Korea's joint chiefs of staff.
In addition, Seoul and Washington are considering the deployment of a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, strategic bomber and other military hardware to the Korean peninsula in response to Sunday's test.
Monday's live-fire drills were held hours after James Mattis, the US defence secretary, said there would be a "massive military response" if North Korea threatened the US or any of its allies.
"Any threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam or our allies, will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming," he said after meeting Donald Trump and his national security team.
Mattis added: "We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea. But as I said, we have many options to do so."
In a sign that South Korea's president, Moon Jae-in, is hardening his stance towards Pyongyang, his government approved additional deployments of a controversial US missile defence system, possibly as early as this week.
Moon had initially opposed the introduction of terminal high-altitude area defence, or Thaad.
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