Remind Pyongyang Not To Try To Use Nuclear Weapons, South Korea: North Korean Regime Will End

Kim Jong-un oversaw nuclear counter-attack drills by the North Korean military. (Source: KCNA)

JAKARTA - South Korea's Ministry of Defense on Tuesday warned the North Korean regime would end if the country tried to use nuclear weapons, after Pyongyang announced rocket drills that simulated nuclear counter-attacks.

"If North Korea tries to use weapons, they will face a swift, extraordinary and decisive response from the South Korean-US alliance, and the North Korean regime will face an end," South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Jeon Ha-kyu told a news conference. April 23.

Jeon further said that the provocations that North Korea continues to carry out will only strengthen South Korea's military capabilities and expand US prevention, as well as trilateral security cooperation involving Japan.

The expanded prevention refers to Washington's commitment to use all its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its allies. The allies have sought an expanded integrated form of deterrence with Seoul utilizing high-tech conventional military capabilities.

Earlier, North Korean state media reported on Tuesday that Kim Jong-un on Monday guided a tactical exercise that simulated a nuclear counter-attack, involving a super-large double rocket launcher against enemy targets.

KCNA called it a clear warning to Pyongyang's enemies. Leader Kim highly praised the "best-in-the-world" tactical nuclear attack arms readiness and expressed his satisfaction with the drills, state media said.

North Korea said the missiles launched Monday accurately hit the target island within 352 kilometers, enough to hit South Korea's Gyeryongdae military headquarters, 160 kilometers south of Seoul. As well as an air base in Gunsan on the southwest coast, a joint air exercise site was held.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said North Korea's latest missile test appeared to be a "point of force" against ongoing military exercises between Seoul and Washington, as well as demonstrating its capabilities as a substitute for the launch of spy satellites and delayed arms sales abroad.

JCS spokesman Lee Sung-jun assessed that North Korea's nuclear strike capability claims as "excessive" and the South Korean military are ready to detect and shoot down Pyongyang's ballistic missile.

"North Korea is known to have not completed its experiments with small tactical nuclear weapons," Lee said.