S. Korea rules out unilateral US pre-emptive strike on N. Korea

By Park Sae-jin Posted : April 10, 2017, 16:24 Updated : April 10, 2017, 16:24

A file picture shows the USS Carl Vinson off the southern port city of Busan. [Yonhap News Photo ]


South Korea stepped up efforts to allay public concerns about a possible US pre-emptive strike that grew over the re-deployment of a US strike team led by the USS Carl Vinson, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier near the Korean peninsula following a cruise missile attack on Syria.

Rumors about a US strike on North Korea are circulating widely through social networking services in South Korea, fueled by US President Donald Trump's rhetoric at a summit meeting last week with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump warned that the United States would consider unilateral action if Beijing refuses to cooperate.

US and South Korean military authorities confirmed that the Carl Vinson's unexpected comeback toward the Korean peninsula away from the original destination of Australia is related to North Korea. The South's defense ministry said it reflects the "grave" situation on the Korean peninsula.

South Korean officials, however, ruled out any unilateral military action by Washington, saying there should be no "overblown" worries about a US pre-emptive strike.

"A preemptive strike is part of efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, but we can not help thinking about the consequences that it will bring. Our position is different from the United States," Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo told reporters.

The American strike team visited South Korea in mid-March to join an annual joint military exercise between US and South Korean troops.

Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com

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