Jung Seung-jo, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff of Republic of Korea. Photo: Yonhap

South Korea and US have hinted at a possible preemptive strike against North Korea if Pyongyang shows signs of preparing to attack the South with a nuclear weapon, said KBS Radio and AFP on Thursday. Jung Seung-jo, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff of Republic of Korea said ROK would make the first move by destroying North Korea’s nuclear bases if Pyongyang look about to launch a nuclear weapon. South Korea did not exclude the possibility that it would conduct its own thermonuclear bomb test if North Korea tests this kind of weapon. The same day, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned that North Korea’s nuclear testing diminished hopes for a reconciliation with South Korea.