Seoul immediately responded to its northern neighbor's latest act of provocation on Friday with military drills and its own missile test, raising fears about the arms race on the Korean Peninsula.
For the second time in less than a month, Pyongyang on Friday fired a ballistic missile that flew over Japan in what is widely seen as payback for the U.N Security Council's latest sanctions.
The move comes hours after the pariah state threatened to use nuclear weapons to "sink" the world's third-largest economy and reduce the U.S. to "ashes and darkness" for supporting the U.N. resolution.
In retort, the South Korean military conducted live-fire exercises that mimic attacking Pyongyang's launch site, NBC News reported on Friday. President Moon Jae-in's administration also said on Friday that the country conducted its own ballistic missile test into the sea, according to Reuters. Moon also ordered officials to prepare for potential new threats, such as biochemical attacks and electro-magnetic pulse.
Seoul's rapid comeback is widely viewed as justified and indicates the nation was prepared for North Korean hostilities. However, analysts called the venture risky, warning it could escalate an already-tense situation.
Moon declared on Friday that dialogue with the Pyongyang was currently "impossible." The head of state has long advocated engagement with Kim's regime and says he believes in the use of pressure to bring the dictator to the negotiating table.
Reference: CNBC
Read More: https://www.cnbc.com/
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