Military Response

[Anchor Lead]

President Moon Jae-in has instructed the military to issue a stern response to North Korea's provocations. The South Korean military has disclosed footage of fighter bombing drills and the test flight of a new ballistic missile.

[Pkg]

Four F-15K fighters of South Korea's Air Force appear in the skies over Gangwon-do Province. They drop eight MK-84 bombs, which are intended to strike the underground bunkers of the North Korean leadership. The drill took place shortly after President Moon Jae-in ordered the military to demonstrate its powerful capabilities to respond to the North's provocations.

[Soundbite] Major Lee Kuk-no(Air Force) : "If North Korea threatens the safety of the South Korean public and the alliance with the U.S. with its nuclear and missile weapons, we will annihilate its leadership with our powerful strike capabilities."

The military has also disclosed footage of the test flights of new ballistic missiles with firing ranges of 500km and 800km. The footage was filmed during the final test flight on August 24 before the missiles' deployment. Sources say South Korea and the United States are also considering the deployment of strategic assets including B-1B bombers. Directly after the missile provocation, National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong held an emergency meeting to strongly condemn the provocation as a violation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions. High-ranking government officials of South Korea and the United States, including the national security chief, the national security adviser, the minister of foreign affairs and the secretary of state, held phone conversations to pledge close cooperation.

[Soundbite] Yoon Young-chan(Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Relations) : "National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster said that President Donald Trump fully supports President Moon Jae-in's North Korea policies and the South Korean government's response to the North's provocations."

The South Korean government has issued a statement strongly condemning the North's missile provocations and urging Pyongyang to engage in dialogue on denuclearization.