President Moon Jae-in received an intelligence briefing about North Korea's then-imminent second test of an intercontinental ballistic missile two days before the North conducted the test, the presidential office said Sunday.
Presidential spokesman Yoon Young-chan, in a text message to reporters, said that top foreign policy adviser Chung Eui-yong briefed Moon about North Korea's imminent test of an ICBM last Wednesday.
"President Moon Jae-in received a report on July 26 that a launch might have been conducted in North Korea's Jagang province, Mupyong-ri," Yoon said in the text message.
(Yonhap)
South Korea is closely watching any provocative movements by North Korea around the clock, Yoon said.
North Korea's second test launch of an ICBM Friday night came in defiance of UN sanctions against the isolated country's nuclear and missile ambitions.
Immediately after the North's second ICBM test, Moon ordered talks to further deploy an advanced US missile defense system.
Also, South Korean and US militaries conducted a joint live-fire ballistic missile drill in response to the North's provocation.
Earlier Sunday, two B1-B US bombers flew over South Korea in a show of force against North Korea.
Yoon said such swift responses by South Korea and the US could not be taken if the South Korean government had no knowledge of signs of North Korea's then-imminent launch of an ICBM. (Yonhap)