South Korea and the United States hold a combined live-fire exercise at an unspecified location, Monday. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff

Yoon vows firm response to Pyongyang's saber-rattling

By Kang Seung-woo

One day after North Korea's barrage of ballistic missile launches, South Korea and the United States responded, Monday, to the threats with another show of force by firing their own ballistic missiles, according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

It is the second time that Seoul and Washington have responded in kind to Pyongyang's increasing saber-rattling, following their counter-action in response to the Kim Jong-un regime's launch of what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), May 25. This marks a dramatic shift of the South Korean government's North Korea policy to a hardline stance from a conciliatory approach, according to diplomatic observers.

Plus, President Yoon Suk-yeol said in his Memorial Day speech that his administration will respond firmly to further provocations from the North.

The JCS said the South Korean and U.S. militaries fired eight surface-to-surface Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles ― seven by South Korea and one by the U.S. ― from northeastern South Korea into the East Sea at 4:45 a.m. in the space of around 10 minutes, assuming the scenario of delivering precision strikes against various targets.

"The launches demonstrate the capability and posture to deliver immediate precision strikes on the origins of provocations and their command and support forces," the JCS said in a statement.

"Our military strongly condemns the North's series of ballistic missile provocations and seriously urges it to immediately stop acts that raise military tensions on the peninsula and add to security concerns."