Seoul tests missiles with North Korean nuke site in mind

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL

South Korea fired missiles Monday in a drill aimed at being able to strike North Korea's nuclear test site, according to Seoul's military.

The exercise involving the South's Hyunmoo ballistic missile and F-15K fighter jets came less than 24 hours after Pyongyang celebrated its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date.

While the UN Security Council is expected to ponder yet more sanctions against North Korea at an emergency meeting set for 10 am (2 pm GMT) Monday in New York, South Korea also replied with its own message.

The range of simulated targets in Monday morning's drill was "set in consideration of the North's Punggye- nuclear test site" based on a Yonhap News Agency report citing the South's military.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that the drill was a success, as short-range surface-to-surface and long-range air-to-ground missiles hit their open water targets.

The exercise was a sign of things to come, with the JCS apparently preparing the way for another show of force with the United States. Past North Korean provocations have prompted the temporary deployment of U.S. bombers.

The allies have recently discussed extending the South's indigenous missile capabilities and placing U.S. strategic weapons on the peninsula indefinitely.

Pyongyang justifies its rogue development of weapons of mass destruction by pointing to the ongoing American military presence in South Korea decades after the 1950-53 Korean War closed with an armistice agreement.