South Korea's Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn on Thursday instructed top military and diplomatic officials to maintain a thorough defense posture during the election period.
During a regular meeting of ministers on pending state affairs, Hwang stressed that amid North Korea's unceasing provocations, the country must not slacken its efforts to ensure national security around the presidential vote next Tuesday.
Acting President and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn speaks during a meeting of top government officials on pending state affairs at the central government complex in Seoul on May 4, 2017. (Yonhap)
"The North's continued provocations are threatening the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and the international community, and if it carries out additional provocations, it will face economic and diplomatic sanctions different from what has been taken so far," Hwang said.
"I instruct the military, foreign and other related ministries to maintain our solid defense posture under the grave situation before and after the presidential election, and strengthen cooperation with the international community," he added.
Despite international warnings, the wayward country has been staging a series of provocations, including the missile launch Saturday that Seoul officials presumed ended in failure. Pyongyang has also been seen preparing for a nuclear test.
During the meeting, Hwang also expressed his appreciation to top government officials for their efforts to ensure that there would be no policy vacuum since former President Park Geun-hye's impeachment in December. (Yonhap)
