The US defence secretary James Mattis has said any use of nuclear weapons by North Korea would be met with an "effective and overwhelming" response. Mattis is in South Korea, where he has been assuring Seoul it has America's continuing support. North Korea's repeated missile and nuclear tests and aggressive statements continue to alarm and anger the region. The US has a considerable military presence in South Korea and Japan, as part of a post-war defence deal. Under the Obama administration, the US and South Korea agreed to deploy a US-made missile defence system in South Korea, to defend against such missile attack.

Source: The Star February 03, 2017 02:15 UTC