US vows 'IRONCLAD' response to North Korea as USS Carl Vinson conducts drills in peninsula

The US, South Korea and Japan denounced Kim Jong-un’s warmongering and latest missile test in a video conference, a spokesman for South Korea’s defence ministry said.

The defence officials said the ballistic missile launch was a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions that had been placed on the rogue state.

Kim Jong-un’s continued nuclear and ballistic missile development programme was also declared an “unacceptable threat” to peace and stability.

The US reassured South Korean and Japan of its “ironclad security commitment” to cooperation over the threat of North Korea.

The nation’s naval strike group, led by the USS Carl Vinson, will also remain in the Korean peninsula.

South Korean Navy commander Jang Wook said: “Joint drills between South Korea and the US (involving the Vinson) are under way.”

He added that a closing date for the drill had not yet been set.

In the video conference the US was represented by Christopher Johnston, acting deputy assistant secretary of defence for East Asia.

His counterparts were Brig Gen Park Chul-kyun, South Korea’s deputy director general for international policy and Koji Kano, Japanese director for defence policy.