South Korea threatens Pyongyang, holds major live-fire drills

The South Korean Navy held major live-fire drills on Tuesday in response to North Korea's nuclear test site which it claimed as a "perfectly successful" Hydrogen Bomb test.

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, from where the hydrogen bomb capable of being loaded on to an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) was detonated.

The South Korean intelligence and military officials said Kim Jong-un would again conduct another ballistic missile test. Seoul's Defence Ministry also measured North Korea's nuclear test at 50 kilotons..

 

Seoul is ready to install four more launchers to complete the deployment of a controversial U.S. missile-defence system to counter the growing threat from the North, the defence ministry said .

Following U.S. President Donald Trump's warnings to North Korea of a "massive military response," South Korea's military fired missiles into the sea to simulate an attack on the North's main nuclear test site.

In a series of tweets, Trump threatened to halt all trade with countries doing business with the North, a veiled warning to China, and faulted South Korea for what he called "talk of appeasement."

The South Korean forces will also conduct joint exercises with the U.S. soon. In addition, Seoul and Washington are considering the deployment of a U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, strategic bomber and other military hardware to the Korean peninsula in response to Sunday's test, the Guardian reported.

Monday's live-fire drills were held hours after James Mattis, the U.S. defence secretary, said there would be a "massive military response" if North Korea threatened the U.S. 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.