US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter [AJU NEWS CORP DB]
US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter vowed to protect South Korea with “all aspects of United States' extended deterrence” after North Korea claimed it had successfully tested a powerful nuclear bomb on Wednesday.
Carter and South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo agreed in a phone call that the surprise nuclear test "should have consequences" for North Korea.
"Secretary Carter reaffirmed the ironclad commitment of the United States to the defense of (South Korea,) and that this commitment includes all aspects of the United States' extended deterrence," the Pentagon and South Korea’s defense ministry said in a joint statement on Thursday.
The statement added, "Carter and Han agreed that North Korea's provocations should have consequences," without giving further details. About 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea and the two forces have very close military ties.
"Secretary Carter and Minister Han agreed that any such test would be an unacceptable and irresponsible provocation and is both a flagrant violation of international law and a threat to the peace and stability of the Korean peninsula and the entire Asia-Pacific region," the statement said.
North Korea’s nuclear test drew threats of further sanctions even though the United States and weapons experts voiced doubts the device was as advanced as the communist state claimed
The U.N. Security Council said it would begin working immediately on significant new measures, including broadening sanctions against North Korea.
The North’s announcement on Wednesday that it had tested a hydrogen device, much more powerful than an atomic bomb, came as a surprise.
North Korea also said it was capable of miniaturizing the H-bomb, in theory allowing it to be placed on a missile and potentially posing a new threat to the U.S. West Coast, South Korea, and Japan.
The White House disputed the North’s hydrogen bomb claim.
"The initial analysis is not consistent with the claim the regime has made of a successful hydrogen bomb test," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters.
The explosion drew criticism, including from China and Russia. Beijing, the North's main economic and diplomatic backer, said it will lodge a protest with Pyongyang
The USGS reported a 5.1 magnitude seismic event that South Korea said was 49 km (30 miles) from the Punggye-ri site where the North has conducted nuclear tests in the past.
By Alex Lee
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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