This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/15/world/asia/south-korea-shows-military-muscle.html

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
South Korea Shows Military Muscle in Sparring With North South Korea Shows Military Muscle in Sparring With North
(about 9 hours later)
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea flexed its military muscle on Thursday by staging large military drills and disclosing a new cruise missile capable of hitting any target in North Korea, as the North became increasingly candid about its intentions to build intercontinental ballistic missiles tipped with nuclear warheads. SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea staged large military drills and disclosed a new cruise missile capable of hitting any target in North Korea, just days after the North said it detonated its third nuclear device and as Pyongyang became increasingly candid about its intentions to build intercontinental ballistic missiles tipped with nuclear warheads.
“We no longer hide but publicly declare: If the imperialists have nuclear weapons, we must have them, and if they have intercontinental ballistic missiles, we must have them, too,” the North’s state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the most authoritative mouthpiece for the North’s leadership, said in a commentary published on Thursday. “Anger seeks weapons.” “We no longer hide but publicly declare: If the imperialists have nuclear weapons, we must have them, and if they have intercontinental ballistic missiles, we must have them, too,” the North’s state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper, the most authoritative mouthpiece for the North’s leadership, said in a commentary published Thursday. “Anger seeks weapons.”
“Imperialist” is the word North Korea uses to refer to the United States. North Korea uses the word “imperialist” to refer to the United States.
Washington and its allies have condemned North Korea’s launching of a satellite in December and its underground nuclear test on Tuesday as a cover for developing nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles capable of reaching North America. But only recently did the North begin publicly indicating that it intended to build such missiles. Washington and its allies have condemned North Korea’s rocket launching in December as a cover for developing the technology needed to build ballistic missiles capable of reaching North America. But only recently did the North begin publicly indicating that it intended to build such missiles.
On Jan. 24, it said that Washington’s hostilities, which it said were behind United Nations sanctions against the country, were forcing it to redirect its rocket and nuclear programs to “target against the U.S.” Last month, the North said that Washington’s attitude toward it, pushing for United Nations sanctions against the country, was forcing it to redirect its rocket and nuclear programs to “target against the U.S.”
Although blustering is a common propaganda trope for North Korea, its increasingly public boasting comes amid growing as concerns among the governments in the region that North Korea was moving closer to building workable long-range nuclear missiles. If unchecked, American officials feared, the North’s drive would embolden Iran to pursue its own nuclear ambitions despite stiff sanctions. Although blustering is a common propaganda tactic for North Korea, its increasingly public boasting comes amid growing concerns that the country is moving closer to building workable long-range nuclear missiles.
If unchecked, American officials fear, the North’s drive will embolden Iran to pursue its own nuclear ambitions despite stiff sanctions.
“It’s important for the world to have credibility with respect to our nonproliferation efforts,” Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday in urging the world to make a “swift, clear, strong and credible response” to the North’s third nuclear test. “What our response is with respect to this will have an impact on all other nonproliferation efforts.”“It’s important for the world to have credibility with respect to our nonproliferation efforts,” Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday in urging the world to make a “swift, clear, strong and credible response” to the North’s third nuclear test. “What our response is with respect to this will have an impact on all other nonproliferation efforts.”
South Korea’s reaction has been swift. On Thursday, its political parties put aside their bickering over domestic politics and passed nearly unanimously a parliamentary resolution condemning the North’s nuclear test. Its navy deployed destroyers and submarines off its east eastern to test their combat readiness. South Korea’s reaction has been a rapid attempt to show North Korea its own military strength. On Thursday, the South’s political parties put aside their bickering over domestic politics and passed nearly unanimously a parliamentary resolution condemning the North’s nuclear test. Its navy deployed destroyers and submarines off its eastern coast to test their combat readiness.
South Korea started a similar naval drill off the western coast on Wednesday and planned on Friday to kick off live-fire drills involving rockets and artillery near the land border with North Korea. Meanwhile, the American military, which keeps 28,500 troops in South Korea, was staging an air drill mobilizing jet fighters of the two allies. South Korea started a similar naval drill off the western coast on Wednesday and planned on Friday to begin live-fire drills involving rockets and artillery near the land border with North Korea. The American military, which keeps 28,500 troops in South Korea, was staging an air drill mobilizing jet fighters of the two allies.
Also on Thursday, the South’s Defense Ministry offered a rare glimpse of its military capabilities by releasing a 50-second video clip that showed two cruise missiles blasting targets after they were launched by a South Korean submarine and destroyer. It was the first time the South Korean military has disclosed the recently deployed missiles, believed to have a range of 620 miles, and it did so with a bravado that reflected the tension on the divided peninsula after the North Korean test. Also on Thursday, the South’s Defense Ministry offered a rare glimpse of its military abilities by releasing a 50-second video clip that showed two cruise missiles blasting targets after they were launched by a South Korean submarine and destroyer. It was the first time the South Korean military had publicly disclosed the recently deployed missiles, believed to have a range of 620 miles, and it did so with a bravado that reflected the tension on the divided peninsula after the North Korean test.
“Our cruise missile shown today is a precision-guided weapon so accurate that it can be directed to smash through the window of a North Korean command post from anywhere on the Korean Peninsula,” Kim Min-seok, a ministry spokesman, said during a media briefing. “Our cruise missile shown today is a precision-guided weapon so accurate that it can be directed to smash through the window of a North Korean command post from anywhere on the Korean Peninsula,” Kim Min-seok, a ministry spokesman, said during a news briefing.
The disclosure came the same day that Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin of South Korea visited his military’s rocket command, as well as its Agency for Defense Development, which is in charge of developing ballistic missiles capable of reaching any target in the North. On the same day, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin of South Korea visited his military’s rocket command, as well as its Agency for Defense Development, which is in charge of developing ballistic missiles able to reach any target in the North.
“North Korea as a whole is a hopeless rogue state that will continue to launch provocations,” Mr. Kim was quoted as saying by the national news agency Yonhap during his visit to the rocket command. “North Korea as a whole is a hopeless rogue state, and it will continue to launch provocations,” Mr. Kim was quoted as saying by the national news agency Yonhap during his visit to the rocket command.
The North’s nuclear test deepened doubts over the effectiveness of the efforts by the United States, China and other regional powers to curb its nuclear and missile ambitions. For its part, North Korea has recently warned that United Nations sanctions would cause it to take “second and third measures of greater intensity” and could even ignite an “all-out war.” The North’s nuclear test deepened doubts about the effectiveness of the efforts by the United States, China and other regional powers to curb its nuclear and missile ambitions. North Korea has recently warned that United Nations sanctions would cause it to take “second and third measures of greater intensity” and could even ignite an “all-out war.”
“We are neither surprised nor confused by them; they were imposed on them periodically and countless times,” Rodong, the North Korean newspaper, said on Thursday, about the prospects of more United Nations sanctions, which it called part of Washington’s long effort to subjugate the recalcitrant nation. “They are not fighting against our nuclear weapons or satellites but against our sovereignty.” “We are neither surprised nor confused by them; they were imposed on us regularly and countless times,” Rodong, the North Korean newspaper, said Thursday, about the prospects of more United Nations sanctions, which it called part of Washington’s long effort to subjugate the recalcitrant nation. “They are not fighting against our nuclear weapons or satellites but against our sovereignty.”