The U.S. Defense Department has released photos and video of the four F-22 stealth fighters that flew over South Korea on Wednesday in response to the North’s recent rocket test.
Advertisement
The F-22 stealth fighters, which made a sortie from an airbase in Japan, were escorted by four South Korean F-15K fighters and four US F-16 fighters.
Building its case for more oversight, the National Intelligence Service yesterday said it believed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had ordered his military to prepare to act against South Korea, including possibly kidnapping or attacking people or targeting subways or power utilities.
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye on Tuesday signalled a tough new approach to derailing North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme and indicated the South would lead efforts to bring about regime change in the Stalinist state.
The Kaesong complex, created in 2004 during a period of rapprochement between the rivals, was the lone exception when South Korea banned all southern trade and investment to North Korea in 2010 in retaliation for the sinking of a South Korean warship that killed 46 sailors. “The U.S. maintains an ironclad commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea”, O’Shaughnessy said.
Winning China’s cooperation is the key to enforcing stronger sanctions against North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs because China is the North’s economic lifeline.
“Our fundamental position is that the priority is for North Korea to halt its provocations and show sincerity toward denuclearization”, said Cho June-hyuck, a spokesman for the ministry.
The current North Korea stand-off is not expected to calm down soon, as Seoul and Washington are discussing deploying a sophisticated United States missile defence system in South Korea that Pyongyang warns would be a source of regional tension.
North Korea is intensifying preparations to carry out various terror attacks on the South. That’s what South Korea’s spy agency reported at an emergency security meeting with the parliament on Thursday.
Seoul has started talks with Washington about deploying the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, missile defence system in South Korea, which has angered both North Korea and China, the North’s main ally.
Advertisement
However, Wang said efforts to formally end the 1950-53 Korean War and denuclearization of North Korea should be pursued at the same time, echoing the demand by North Korea. The allies say their drills are defensive in nature.
