South Korea has showcased its new-type ballistic missile in a military parade to underscore its intention to bolster, together with United States forces, deterrence against North Korea.
South Korea on Tuesday held a ceremony at an air base outside Seoul to mark the founding anniversary of its armed forces.
President Yoon Suk-yeol stressed in his speech that if North Korea attempts to use its nuclear weapons, it will invite a “resolute and overwhelming” response from the South Korea-US alliance and face the end of its regime.
The military parade featured drones and interceptor missiles, as well as the new-type ballistic missile Hyunmoo-5.
South Korean media say the missile can carry a warhead weighing 8 tons. It was reportedly developed to destroy the North Korean leadership’s underground bunkers in the event of an attack on the South, in a contingency on the Korean Peninsula.
During the parade, a US B-1 bomber flew overhead to show the two countries’ unity. North Korea is said to be extremely wary of the bomber.
The South Korean military on Tuesday set up the Strategic Command, which is tasked with overseeing the integrated operation of ballistic missiles, stealth fighters and other weapons systems.