South Korea vows no war despite North’s missile threat

Last week it threatened to fire a salvo of rockets towards the US territory of Guam — although it appears to have backed off for now — inspiring Trump to warn that Washington’s weapons were “locked and loaded”.

The intense rhetoric on both sides raised fears that a miscalculation could lead to catastrophic consequences — Pyongyang has vast artillery forces deployed within range of Seoul, where millions of people live.

The United States has been the South’s security guarantor since the end of the Korean War in 1953, which left the peninsula divided and technically still in a state of conflict with no peace treaty signed.

Washington has 28,500 troops stationed in the country to protect it from the North.

But Moon said Trump had agreed that “no matter what option they take about North Korea, all decisions will be made after consulting with and getting agreement with the Republic of Korea”.

– ‘Red line’ –

Pyongyang says it needs nuclear weapons to defend itself from a possible invasion by the “imperialist enemy” — the United States.

It has long sought to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of hitting the US mainland.

The North has been subjected to seven sets of sanctions by the United Nations Security Council over its nuclear programme, the latest earlier this month, with China, its main ally and benefactor, promising to comply.

Beijing has grown increasingly exasperated with its wayward neighbour, but fears instability and the prospect of US troops on its border in a united Korea.

Moon, a left-leaning former human rights lawyer, in the past has urged engagement with Pyongyang to bring it to the negotiating table, in addition to sanctions.

But since coming to power, his gestures have been rebuffed by Pyongyang, and he played down the urgency of dialogue, echoing Tillerson’s line that Pyongyang must prove it is ready to make concessions.

“The red line would be North Korea completing its ICBM and mounting it with a nuclear warhead and weaponising it,” he said.

“If North Korea launches another provocation, it will face even stronger sanctions and it will not be able to survive them. I would like to warn North Korea to end its dangerous gamble.”

Kim said Tuesday that the North would “watch a little more” before making a decision on the Guam missile launch, a declaration Trump lauded as “very wise”.

But the US and South Korea are set to begin their annual 10-day Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint exercises on Monday, involving tens of thousands of troops. North Korea has long slammed it as a rehearsal for invasion.