Trump, Moon to boost SKorean missile power

WASHINGTON, D.C.: The United States and South Korea agreed Friday (Saturday in Manila) to strengthen Seoul’s defenses and Washington gave a nod to billions in arms sales to the country, the White House said, days af- and threatened further launches.

In Seoul, the presidential Blue Trump has insisted that “all House spokesman confirmed options” are on the table in an that US President Donald Trump implied threat of pre- emptive and his South Korean counmilitary action, while on Thursterpart Moon Jae- in agreed to day US heavy bombers and enhance the country’s deterrence against North Korea by boosting its missile capabilities. intended as a show of force.

- Trump and Moon spoke on ate-range Hwasong-12 over Japan the phone Friday about North early on Tuesday, which it said Korean’s “continued destabilizwas a mere “curtain- raiser” for ing and escalatory behavior,” the the North’s “resolute countermeaWhite House said in a statement. sures” against ongoing US-South “The two leaders agreed to Korean military drills. strengthen our alliance through

It came as US and South defense cooperation and to Korean forces were nearing the strengthen South Korea’s deend of the 10- day annual Ulchi fense capabilities. Freedom Guardian joint exer“President Trump provided his cises, which the North regards conceptual approval of planned as a rehearsal for invasion. purchases by South Korea of billions of dollars in American military equipment.”

Park Soo-hyun, the spokesman the leaders had reached an agreement in principle to loosen—”to the extent hoped by the South Korean side”—limits on the South’s ballistic missile capability.

Under a bilateral agreement with the United States, Seoul is currently restricted to ballistic missiles with a maximum range of 800 kilometers (500 miles) and payload of 500 kilograms (1100 pounds).

The South wants the maximum warhead weight doubled to one ton, and the Pentagon has said it was “actively” considering the revision.

Signed with the US in 2001— the year South Korea joined the MissileTechnology Control Regime (MTCR)—the agreement initially limited Seoul to rockets with a range of just 300 kilometers, due to US concerns about triggering a regional arms race in Northeast Asia.

However, after a long- range rocket test by North Korea in 2012, Seoul managed to negoti- ate the near three-fold increase in the range limit to 800 kilometers, putting North Korean military facilities which were previously out of range within reach, as well as parts of China and Japan.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years after a series of missile tests by Pyongyang.

Calls are also mounting in South Korea for Seoul to build nuclear weapons of its own to defend itself as nuclear- armed North Korea’s missile stand-off with the US escalates.

The South, which hosts 28,500 US troops to defend it, is banned from building its own nuclear weapons under a 1974 atomic energy deal it signed with Washington, which instead offers a “nuclear umbrella” against potential attacks.

Park said the two leaders reaf - yang back to dialogue by applying maximum sanctions and pressure.

However, Trump said after the latest missile test that negotiations with Pyongyang were “not the answer.”