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| Gen. Vincent K. Brooks |
In a joint statement he issued with Gen. Lee Sun-jin, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Brooks said, "Self-restraint, which is a choice, is all that separates armistice and war."
The statement came after the allies conducted a ballistic missile exercise early in the morning in response to Pyongyang's "successful" intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test-firing Tuesday. North Korea claimed that its ICBM is capable of reaching the continental U.S.
"As this missile live-fire exercise shows, we are able to change our choice when so ordered by our alliance's national leaders," Brooks said. "It would be a grave mistake for anyone to believe anything to the contrary."
Gen. Lee Sun-jin echoed this. "We may make resolute decisions at any time, if the alliance's commanders in chief order it."
In a meeting of the National Assembly National Defense Committee convened in response to the North's missile test-firing, Defense Minister Han Min-koo emphasized the importance of the first-ever joint missile training.
"The U.S. and the ROK judged that the joint armed protest was an appropriate reaction to North Korea's missile provocation among possible options," Han said. "Additional joint measures will take place."
Han said that the idea of holding the missile live-fire drill was first brought up late last year.
During the meeting, conservative lawmakers called for rapid deployment of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) while the ruling Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers refuted that the THAAD system is not designed to intercept an ICBM.
Asked whether the anti-ballistic missile system is operating normally, Han said one launcher and two radar units are running, along with at least 16 missiles.
Some conservative members called for re-deployment of U.S.-tactical nuclear weapons. An independent conservative Rep. Lee Jung-hyun blasted President Moon's pledge to reduce the number of soldiers by shortening mandatory military service, saying the North has 1.28 million soldiers.
On Wednesday, the National Assembly also adopted a resolution condemning the North's ICBM test. "The Assembly reaffirms that such provocations may lead to the Kim Jong-un regime's ultimate collapse," the resolution said.
Further, the resolution called on the military to bolster its defense systems ― the Kill Chain for preemptive action; the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) to intercept missiles, and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) to strike the North Korean military command.
