Korea – US show air power during US officials’ visit to Seoul

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said there will be a strong and clear response if North Korea conducts a nuclear test.

The air power show involving 20 fighter jets, including an F-35A stealth fighter, came a day after the South Korean-US allies launched eight surface-to-air missiles off the east coast. of South Korea in response to North Korea’s salvo of short-range ballistic missiles on June 5.

“South Korea and the United States have demonstrated their ability and strong determination to coordinate a quick and accurate response to any provocation by North Korea,” the South Korean military said in a statement. Allies are closely monitoring and preparing for any further provocations by North Korea.

The statement came hours after US Deputy Secretary of State Sherman met his South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun-dong in Seoul to discuss North Korea. North Korea recently hosted a series of missile test and some analysts believe that the country is preparing to resume nuclear weapons testing after a five-year hiatus.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman (right) and her South Korean counterpart Cho Hyun-dong in Seoul, June 7. (Photo: Office of the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea)

“Any nuclear test (by North Korea) would be a complete violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions (and) there would be a swift and strong response to such a test.” like that… I believe that not only Korea, the US and Japan but the whole world will react strongly in obvious ways,” Sherman said in a press conference after the meeting. “We’re getting ready and we’ll continue the tripartite discussion (with South Korea and Japan) tomorrow.”

The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said on June 6 that North Korea is conducting construction and expansion of key facilities at its nuclear test site in Yongbyon.

Since May, North Korea has suffered the first confirmed outbreak of COVID-19 in the country with a total of 4,198,890 people with fever as of June 6. North Korea has not confirmed the total number of people who have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

So far, North Korea has rejected any offers of assistance from the US and South Korea, even as the World Health Organization says the COVID-19 situation in the country is deteriorating.

“We hope that (North Korean leader) Kim Jong-un will focus on helping his people through the COVID-19 pandemic that we have all faced and will return to the table.” negotiate instead of taking actions that are provocative, dangerous and destabilizing,” Sherman said.

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