[North Korea defies predictions — again — with early grasp of weapons milestone ]

Earlier Monday, South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo said that he asked his American counterpart, Jim Mattis, during talks at the Pentagon last week that strategic assets such as U.S. aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and B-52 bombers be sent to South Korea more regularly. Separately, South Korea and Japan used their shared military hotline for the first time in the aftermath of North Korea’s nuclear test, Seoul’s defence ministry said, a sign the North’s provocation is pushing the two longtime rivals, which are Washington’s main allies in the region, closer together. As part of a plan to punish North Korea for its provocative intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear tests, Moon Jae In, South Korea's president, has looked to increase the country's offensive missile capabilities and import additional missile defense batteries from the US— both of which signal a more militaristic approach to dealing with Pyongyang.
South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo says it is worth reviewing deployment of U.S. strategic assets (aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and B-52 bombers) to South Korea more regularly.