South Korea, Japan ready to respond to North Korea

South Korea and Japan on April 1 responded strongly to North Korea's threats. Both countries expressed their readiness to respond to any provocation from Pyongyang.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin answers questions from the press.
(Photo: YONHAP)

During a meeting with the Defense Ministry on April 1, South Korean President Park Geun-hye said that Pyongyang's recent threats were very serious and instructed the military to be ready to respond quickly to provocations from North Korea without considering political issues.

PresidentWeldcountryPark“If there is any provocation against South Korea and the South Korean people, there must be a strong military response first without considering political issues,” Geun-hye said. “As the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, I trust the military’s judgment on North Korea’s sudden and unexpected provocations.”

During the meeting, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said the military will build a proactive deterrence mechanism with the aim of quickly neutralizing North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, while enhancing the South Korean military's surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

In a related development, on March 31, the US sent its most modern stealth fighter jets, the F-22 Raptor, to South Korea to participate in joint exercises. The Pentagon did not specify how many F-22s were sent from Japan to South Korea, but described it as part of a regular rotation of air forces between bases in the Western Pacific that US forces have conducted since 2004.

Japan has also been put on full alert after North Korea declared a state of war.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the country is closely monitoring North Korea's actions. US military bases in Japan have also been among the targets mentioned in North Korea's recent threats of war.

According to VTV-M