S. Korea, U.S. ready to respond if N. Korea puts threat against Guam into action: ministry

SEOUL, Aug. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States are ready to respond if North Korea carries out its threat to fire missiles into waters around the U.S. territory of Guam, the Defense Ministry said Monday.

The ministry said in a report to the parliamentary defense committee that the two countries are prepared to "demonstrate the strong willpower and capabilities of the Korea-U.S. alliance, and will put them into action if necessary."

Possible options include a demonstration of firepower by South Korea alone or jointly between the two countries, strengthening exercises to cope with North Korean nuclear and missile threats, and the deployment of additional U.S. strategic assets, the ministry said.

The ministry also said that the military is maintaining its self-defense readiness while keeping a close eye on possible signs of North Korean provocations by mobilizing more surveillance equipment and strengthening vigilance status.

The Korean Air Operations Center and the Master Control and Reporting Center, as well as patriot missile bases, keep checking on air defense readiness, as well as the anti-missile warning system, it added.

The ministry also plans to issue a strong warning to North Korea when the defense ministers of the two countries hold talks later this month. It vowed to work closely together with the U.S. to further strengthen pressure and sanctions on the North.

The country will also accelerate efforts to revise a ballistic missile agreement with the U.S. to increase its missile range, while deploying the four additional launchers for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system.

The already high tensions on the Korean Peninsula spiked further last week as the North threatened to fire missiles into waters around Guam, a key strategic point for the U.S. military where some of its strategic weapons are deployed, including B-1B and B-52 strategic bombers and the THAAD missile defense system.

Pyongyang even laid out a detailed strike plan, threatening to simultaneously fire four Hwasong-12 intermediate-range ballistic missiles that will fly over Japan and land in waters just 30-40 kilometers off the Pacific island.

In response, U.S. President Donald Trump has openly talked about military options.

The ministry said that the North's threat to strike Guam was seen as aimed at protesting the latest package of U.N. Security Council sanctions and creating a one-on-one standoff with the U.S.

It also said that the North is likely to undertake provocations in protest against the U.N. sanctions, as well as the upcoming joint military exercises between the U.S. and the South.

jschang@yna.co.kr
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