Tue Oct 01 18:21:36 UTC 2024: ## South Korea Flexes Military Might, Warns North Korea of “End” if Nuclear Weapons Used
**Seoul, South Korea** – In a show of force and a stark warning to North Korea, South Korea unveiled its most powerful ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5, during a massive Armed Forces Day ceremony yesterday. The display, accompanied by a US B-1B bomber flyover, underscored South Korea’s determination to deter any aggression from its northern neighbor.
President Yoon Suk-yeol, addressing thousands of troops, declared that any attempt by North Korea to use nuclear weapons would result in a “resolute and overwhelming response” from the South Korean military and its US allies, ultimately leading to the “end of the North Korean regime.”
The Hyunmoo-5, capable of carrying an 8-ton conventional warhead, is designed to penetrate deep into North Korean territory and destroy underground bunkers. This is the first time South Korea has publicly revealed this missile.
The demonstration comes after North Korea heightened regional tensions by disclosing its uranium-enrichment facility and conducting missile tests ahead of the US presidential election in November.
In a separate development, Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is likely to make landfall in Taiwan, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The storm’s outer rim already made landfall in Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula yesterday, with the eye expected to hit land tomorrow.
Taitung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien, and Kaohsiung have canceled work and classes today in anticipation of the storm. The CWA has issued sea warnings and is set to issue a land warning later today.
In a show of maritime strength, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, for the first time, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday in response to a Chinese reconnaissance aircraft intrusion into Japanese airspace last month. New Zealand and Australian naval vessels also sailed through the Strait on the same day.
First Piper 