South Korean missiles to get bigger payloads as Trump proposes ‘many billions’ in US arms sales
Restrictions on South Korea’s missiles in terms of maximum range and payload have been in place since 1979
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US President Donald Trump have agreed to remove limits on South Korea’s missile payloads to boost its defences against North Korea’s escalating threat.
Moon and Trump struck the accord during telephone talks on Monday in response to North Korea’s latest nuclear test on Sunday, Moon’s office said in a statement.
The two leaders “held in-depth discussions on responses to North Korea’s sixth nuclear test, and, as an effective countermeasure, the two agreed to remove the limits on the payloads of South Korean missiles under the Korea-US missile guidelines,” the statement said.
On Tuesday, South Korean warships conducted live-fire exercises at sea in a second straight day of military swagger from a nation still rattled by the North’s biggest ever nuclear test.
South Korean ships including a 2,500-ton frigate, a 1,000-ton patrol ship and 400-ton guided-missile vessels took part in the drills aimed at retaliating against potential North Korean provocations, the Defence Ministry said.
On Monday, Seoul used F-15 fighter jets and land-based ballistic missiles to simulate an attack on North Korea’s nuclear test site to “strongly warn” the North over the recent detonation.
