South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn
urged the country’s military to increase its readiness against any
possible provocation from North Korea. Hwang’s comments came Tuesday
amid speculation that Pyongyang will likely conduct its fifth nuclear
test around the key meeting of its ruling Workers’ Party later this
week.
"The military should thoroughly be ready for
any kind of North Korean provocation to ensure the safety of the
people," Hwang said, during a Cabinet meeting in Seoul, according to Yonhap news agency.
South Korean defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun told Yonhap
Monday that ‘the North would conduct an additional nuclear test and
fire off a (mid- or long-range) missile in a blitzkrieg manner” around
Pyongyang’s seventh congress, which is set for Friday, the first in over
three decades.
North Korea has made several moves
to demonstrate its military prowess this year, starting with its fourth
nuclear test in January, followed by a long-range rocket launch in
February. North Korea's actions have been condemned by the international
community while the reclusive country was slapped with harsh sanctions
by the United Nations Security Council.
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