"All options are on the table".
North Korea's official media reported Wednesday that leader Kim Jong Un personally observed the exercises, which involved the firing of more than 300 large- calibre artillery pieces and included submarine torpedo-attacks on mock enemy warships.
"People in Seongju, a traditionally tranquil town known for melon farming, are concerned that the area will become a prime target for the North's rocket or missile attacks", Yonhap explained, identifying protest signs reading, "No THAAD, No War", and, "Hey, U.S.!"
Wednesday's briefings will focus on three key issues related to North Korea's nuclear program: intelligence about the North's capabilities; US response options, including military ones; and how to get China and other countries to enforce existing economic sanctions on Pyongyang, along with ideas for new penalties.
"I express my expectations that ASEAN which attaches great importance to the regional peace and stability will make an issue of the US-South Korean joint military exercises at ASEAN conferences from the fair position and play an active role in safeguarding the peace and safety of Korean Peninsula", the letter said.
"China is the key to this", said Republican Sen. "This lets the Congress know this is a very big deal".
Two weeks ago, Defense Secretary James Mattis said the Vinson was "on her way up there because that's where we feel it's prudent to have her at this time".
WASHINGTON (AP) - Ahead of an extraordinary White House briefing for senators, South Korea on Wednesday started installing key parts of a contentious USA defense system against missiles from North Korea.
South Korean army's multiple launch rocket systems fired rockets during South Korea-U.S. joint military live-fire drills at Seungjin Fire Training Field in Pocheon, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, Wednesday.
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The system is meant to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight.
The United States and South Korea agreed past year to deploy the THAAD to counter the threat of missile launches by North Korea.
Harris is testifying in three congressional hearings this week, but he's doing so without Gen. Vincent Brooks, the head of US Forces Korea, who was supposed to testify but remained in the Pacific due to the increased tensions.
"A lot more Koreans and Japanese and Americans die" if Kim's regime reaches its nuclear arms goals, Harris said.
But the Trump administration is also stressing that it has powerful options other than military ones, including imposing additional economic sanctions on North Korea and further isolating the Kim regime in the worldwide community.
Still, Pentagon officials have stressed to Trump there are no easy options for military interventions in North Korea. But a New York Times story said the Vinson was actually headed in another direction at the time and not toward Korea.
Harris did not say which ships in the region possessed this capability. A strike group led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson is in striking range of North Korea.
The statement came as the three officials and Gen. Joe Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, briefed all 100 senators at the White House about North Korea's nuclear capabilities and US response options, including a military one.
Seoul held a large annual drill of its own, involving some 100 artillery pieces, 90 armored vehicles and 50 aircraft, as well as 2,000 South Korean and U.S. troops, the defense ministry said.
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