 |
| South Korea Plans More Joint Exercises with US Military |
International Military - North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast Saturday, hours before South Korea staged a major military show featuring stealth fighters and missiles of its own.
Pyongyang's fourth launch in a week comes amid muscle-stretching military activity by countries in the region, including Friday's joint anti-submarine exercises by the navies of South Korea, the United States and Japan.
US Vice President Kamala Harris visited the region this week, meeting South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in Seoul on Thursday. The two Koreas are competing in a regional arms race that has seen huge increases in weapons and military spending.
Marking South Korea's 74th Armed Forces Day, Yoon condemned what he called recent military provocations by North Korea and vowed to strengthen joint military exercises with the US. “The government will further strengthen Korea-US relations. joint exercises, will respond strongly to North Korea's provocations and threats by showing them the 'Alliance in Action'," Yoon said in a televised speech.
Yoon and military officials watched the main display of advanced weaponry, including multiple rocket launchers, ballistic missiles, main battle tanks, drones and F-35 fighters, among other systems.
The US military demonstrates fighter jets and attack aircraft. Pictures of the event show Yoon saluting from the back of a convertible while driving with a line of tanks and other weapons. Yoon also said his country's conventional weapons were key to deterring North Korea, and Seoul had also sought more major arms sales around the world.