US submarine makes South Korea port call, North remains defiant

(Kim Jun-hum/Yonhap via AP).

In the event of conflict on the Korean Peninsula, U.S. troops and equipment from Iwakuni would likely be among the first deployed.

“Our military is closely monitoring the North Korean military’s movements”, said the statement.

Earlier, the USA military moved parts of an anti-missile defence system to a deployment site in South Korea, triggering protests from villagers and by China – whose help is vital to agreeing and implementing tougher economic sanctions to try to persuade North Korea to abandon its weapons programs.

South Korea’s navy is planning to hold joint naval drills with US aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson battle group, which has trained with Japanese destroyers in recent days, around the weekend.

(Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Z.A. Landers/U.S. Navy via AP).

The USS Wayne E. Meyer, a guided-missile destroyer that is part of the Carl Vinson strike group, and South Korea’s Wanggeon participated in drills to the west of the peninsula.

Earlier: A U.S. guided-missile submarine arrived in South Korea today as North Korea prepared to mark the anniversary of the founding of its military amid fears of a new nuclear test.

North Korea held a “massive” firing drill on Tuesday, according to South Korea’s military as it monitored the North on the 85th anniversary of the foundation of its Korean People’s Army. There are about 28,500 USA military personnel serving in South Korea.

It is expected to take part in military exercises with the Carl Vinson warship group dispatched by the United States in a show of force. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang confirmed this week that China has stopped “this year’s import of coal produced in North Korea” since February 18. China, which has grown increasingly frustrated with North Korea, its traditional ally, and Russian Federation see the system’s powerful radars as a security threat.

After witnessing Trump ordering the launch of 59 Tomahawk missiles against a Syrian military airfield, political analysts anxious the unpredictable American president could stage a similar attack against North Korea.

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said the THAAD system’s deployment would “disrupt the regional strategic balance and further aggravate the tension on the peninsula”. He said they also recognized China’s recent steps toward that goal.

North Korea has staged its largest live artillery “bombardment”, involving 400 long-range cannons, in the eastern town of Wonsan under the watch of leader Kim Jong-un. The official added that it is possible that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un is supervising the drill.

Trump has indicated he is willing to ramp up USA military pressure on North Korea while simultaneously encouraging China to use its influence on its ally, and reject bilateral diplomacy with Pyongyang.

Donald Trump triggered speculation he was planning a response in the event of another nuclear test by Pyongyang when he made hastily scheduled calls to Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and China’s President, Xi Jinping, over the weekend.

The unprecedented meeting in a building adjacent to the White House reflected the increased American alarm over North Korea’s progress in developing a nuclear-tipped missile that could strike the US mainland.

The top USA commander in South Korea, meanwhile, warned the North that his troops were prepared for a fight.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham voiced confidence that Trump won’t allow North Korea to reach that point.

As a USA nuclear-powered missile submarine docked in South Korea today, North Korea put on a huge live-fire artillery drill to commemorate the foundation of its military-and, presumably, show the world who’s boss.

The submarine is equipped to carry as many as 154 Tomahawk missiles and more than 60 special operations forces.

The comments came as Japan conducted exercises with a USA aircraft carrier strike group headed for Korean waters.

At the same time, the United States has ordered an aircraft carrier strike group to the western Pacific, near North Korea.