| Defense Minister Song Young-moon shakes hands with the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Admiral Scott Swift during the latter's visit to the ministry, Wednesday. / Joint press corps |
By Choi Ha-young
| Adm. Um Hyun-seong |
“We have little time left to stop the North's runaway provocations,” Um said in a speech at the International Seapower Symposium hosted by the ROK Navy. “North Korea has nearly mastered its nuclear and missile technology, boasting it can load a hydrogen bomb onto an intercontinental ballistic missile.”
The top naval officer called for international cooperation. “Threats posed by the North are a global matter beyond the Korean Peninsula. To change Pyongyang's attitude world powers should concentrate their efforts,” he said.
At the symposium, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Admiral Scott Swift vowed to keep sending American defense assets to the peninsula.
“We will continue to deploy carrier strike groups, expeditionary strike groups, AEGIS ships, the world's most capable submarine force and advanced aircraft like the F-35, P-8 and MH-60R to be prepared to respond decisively when called,” Swift said.
Later in the day, Swift met South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo.
The South Korean Navy staged a live-fire drill in response to Pyongyang's latest nuclear test. To inspect the military's capacity for immediate retaliation to the enemy's provocations at sea, its ships conducted training in anti-aircraft and anti-ship exercises, the Navy said in a press release.
The Navy is also planning a separate exercise in southern seas from Wednesday to Saturday. For two days from Thursday, the naval forces of the U.S. and ROK will conduct anti-submarine exercises in the East Sea.
The Navy's training exercises follow a joint live-fire exercise conducted by the ROK Army and Air Force early Monday. President Moon Jae-in, who has upheld peace overtures to South Korea's nuclear-armed neighbor, has also adopted armed protests in curbing Pyongyang's continued provocations.