United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has pointed out that a possible nuclear attack by North Korea against Washington or one of its allies would lead to the end of the regime of its supreme leader Kim Jong-un.
After a meeting with South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, the two sides agreed to include a North Korean nuclear attack scenario in future joint military exercises between Washington and Seoul, AP said.
Defence chiefs also condemned "in the strongest terms" North Korea's military cooperation with Russia, including its recent deployment of troops in regions near its border with Ukraine.
The North Korean leader has repeatedly referred to South Korea as a "hostile country", stressing that the closure of roads between the countries signals a permanent severance of his ties with Seoul.