North Korea threat “accelerating” says US Defence Secretary

The threat North Korea poses to its neighbouring countries and to the world through its “illegal and unnecessary” missile and nuclear weapons programmes is accelerating, James Mattis, US Defence Secretary said in a visit to South Korea.

He also said that the US-South Korean security collaboration had become more urgent.

This comes as tensions between the US and North Korea reached new heights this year, following Pyongyang’s testing of a number of nuclear weapons.

The CIA warned that North Korea could be close to developing a nuclear weapon which could reach the US.

Pyonyang carried out the sixth in a series of nuclear tests, believed to be the biggest yet, in September. It also fired two ballistic missiles in August and September, which passed over Japan.

In response, South Korea has begun deploying a missile defence system known as US Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence (Thadd). It also commenced joint military exercises with the US, involving aircraft carriers, destroyers and fighter aircraft.