In his address to the US troops based in Seoul on Sunday, US Vice President Mike Pence said: "Under President Trump’s leadership, our resolve has never been stronger. Our commitment to this historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger.”
Pence arrived in South Korea's capital on Sunday to discuss rising tensions in the region. On the very same day, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) launched a missile which both the US and South Korean authorities called “a failure.”
South Korea has described the launch as a threat to the entire world, warning it will take punitive action if Pyongyang attempts to do it again.
Cho June-hyuck, South Korean foreign ministry spokesman, speaks at a press conference on Sunday, April 16, 2017./ CGTN Screenshot
"If there is any intensive provocations, such as nuclear tests or Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launches, we warn once more that strong punitive measures, unbearable by the North Korean regime, will be taken,” said Cho June-hyuck, South Korean foreign ministry spokesman.
In Pyongyang, the failure of the missile launch wasn’t reported, though foreign reporters did tell a few people. Some local residents do not feel depressed by the news, and believe their country will acquire more powerful weapons in the future.
VCG Photo
During a parade in Pyongyang on Saturday, submarine missiles were also paraded, raising concerns in Seoul because their launch cannot be quickly detected by Seoul’s radar systems, further escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Pence started his ten-day visit to Asia in South Korea. He will visit the country’s acting president before traveling to Japan where the DPRK’s accelerated nuclear missile program is also expected to be high on the agenda.
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