In response to North Korea’s continued threats, the Defense Ministry has vowed to sternly deal with any provocation from Pyongyang.
 
Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said in a news briefing on Tuesday that the North should realize that it will face greater sanctions and pressure unless it stops its missile and nuclear provocations. He then urged North Korea to make a wise decision and denuclearize itself.
 
The spokesman stressed that South Korea will firmly respond to North Korean provocations based on their solid alliance with the U.S. He warned Pyongyang not to test or misjudge the Seoul-Washington alliance.
 
On Monday, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency denounced the South’s maritime live-fire drill conducted near the western sea border as a military provocation against Pyongyang, threatening to turn South Korean border islands and even Seoul into a sea of fire.