28 August 2017•Update: 29 August 2017
By Alex Jensen
SEOUL
South Korean President Moon Jae-in ordered Monday that his country be ready to quickly attack if North Korea "crosses the line".
Moon had said earlier his "red line" meant weaponizing a nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), amid the North's threats of opening fire towards Guam.
While meeting with Defense Ministry officials Monday, Moon demanded "a reform of the military structure to meet the requirements of modern warfare so that it can quickly switch to an offensive posture in case North Korea stages a provocation that crosses the line," according to presidential pool reports cited by Yonhap News Agency.
Seoul is expected to continue pushing for greater weapon capabilities during ongoing talks with the U.S., its main military ally.
It marks a shift from the South Korean president's calls for peaceful dialogue since taking office in May.
North Korea has rejected Moon's stance as "insincere", conducting a series of banned missile tests.
Pyongyang's ruling party Rodong Sinmun newspaper commented Monday: "It is presumptuous of South Korea's leader to talk about a red line even as its master does not dare to bring about."
The North often refers to Seoul as the puppet of its master the U.S. The reclusive state's main newspaper also warned that North Korean forces "will bury the entirety of the U.S. under water if the U.S. brings in the cloud of war of aggression on this soil."
