Seoul - US has vowed a “swift and forceful” response should North Korea conduct another nuclear test, following Pyongyang's latest ballistic missile launch over the weekend, which was matched by a similar show of force from Washington and Seoul.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with her South Korean counterpart, Deputy US Secretary of State Wendy Sherman argued that any nuclear test would violate United Nations Security Council resolutions and warned of a massive international reaction.
“There would be a swift and forceful response to such a test,” she said, adding “The entire world will respond in a strong and clear manner. We are prepared.”
Japan, also acting jointly with the Pentagon, conducted a separate missile test in response, saying it showed off the two allies’ “rapid response capability.”
Earlier on Monday, State Department spokesman Ned Price voiced concerns that North Korea could conduct its seventh-ever nuclear bomb test sometime “in the coming days,” reiterating previous warnings over a potential trial.
“It's a concern we have warned about for some time, I can assure you that it is a contingency we have planned for, and it has been a concerted topic of discussion with allies and partners,” he said.
The South Korean and U.S. militaries flew 20 fighter jets over waters off South Korea’s western coast Tuesday in a continued show of force as a senior U.S. official warned of a forceful response if North Korea goes ahead with its first nuclear test explosion in nearly five years.
The flight came a day after the allies fired eight surface-to-surface missiles into South Korea’s eastern waters to match a weekend missile display by North Korea, which fired the same number of weapons from multiple locations Sunday in what was likely its biggest single-day testing event.
While the Biden administration has vowed to push for additional international sanctions if North Korea goes on with the nuclear test, the prospects for meaningful new punitive measures are unclear with the U.N. Security Council divided.
-RT/AP