‘US, S Korea may hold nuke drill amid N Korea threat’

South Korea staged large-scale military drills to simulate shooting down drones to bolster its readiness against N Korean provocations. Pic/AP

South Korea and the United States are discussing possible joint planning and exercises using US nuclear assets in the face of North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said in an interview. Yoon was quoted in the Chosun Ilbo newspaper saying the joint planning and exercises would be aimed at a more effective implementation of the US "extended deterrence."

The term means the ability of the US military, particularly its nuclear forces, to deter attacks on US allies. "The nuclear weapons belong to the United States, but planning, information sharing, exercises and training should be jointly conducted by South Korea and the United States," Yoon said, adding Washington is also "quite positive" about the idea.

Yoon's remarks come a day after North Korean state media reported that its leader Kim Jong Un called for developing new intercontinental ballistic missiles and a larger nuclear arsenal to counter US-led threats amid flaring tension between the rival Koreas.

On Sunday, North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile off its east coast, in a rare late-night, New Year's Day weapons test.

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Kim sacks No 2 military official

North Korea has sacked Pak Jong Chon, the second most powerful military official after leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported. Pak, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party and a secretary of the party's Central Committee, was replaced by Ri Yong Gil at the committee's annual meeting last week, KCNA news agency said.

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