South Korea unveils its most powerful missile, which could reach North Korea's underground bunkers

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea unveiled its most powerful ballistic missile and other weapons targeting North Korea during a massive Armed Forces Day ceremony Tuesday, as the South's president warned the North's regime would collapse if it attempts to use nuclear weapons.

South Korea’s weapons displays and warning against North Korea came after its northern rival recently rose regional animosities by disclosing its uranium-enrichment facility and tested missiles ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November.

“If North Korea attempts to use nuclear weapons, it will face the resolute and overwhelming response of our military and the (South Korea)-U.S. alliance,” President Yoon Suk Yeol told thousands of troops gathered at a military airport near Seoul. “That day will be the end of the North Korean regime.”

“The North Korean regime must abandon the delusion that nuclear weapons will protect them,” Yoon said.

During the ceremony, the South Korean military displayed about 340 military equipment and weapons systems. Among them was its most powerful Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile, which observers say is capable of carrying an 8-ton conventional warhead that can penetrate deep into the earth and destroy underground bunkers in North Korea. It was the first time for South Korea to disclose that missile.

The U.S. flew a long-range B-1B bomber during the ceremony in an apparent demonstration of its security commitment to its Asian ally. South Korea also flew some of its most advanced fighter jets.

Later Tuesday, South Korea will parade its troops and weapons through the streets of Seoul, the capital, as part of efforts to boost military morale and demonstrate its deterrence capabilities against potential North Korean aggressions.

Also Tuesday, South Korea launched its strategic command that officials say integrates South Korea’s conventional capabilities with U.S. nuclear weapons. South Korea has no nuclear weapons.

Since taking office in 2022, Yoon, a conservative, has put a stronger military alliance with the U.S. and an improved trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security cooperation at the center of his security polices to cope with North Korea’s advancing nuclear program. In recent years, North Korea has performed a provocative of missile tests and threatened to use nuclear weapons preemptively in potential conflicts with South Korea and the United States.

Last month, concerns about North Korea’s bomb program further grew after it published photos of a secretive facility to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons. It was North Korea’s first unveiling of a uranium-enrichment facility since it showed one at the country’s main Yongbyon nuclear complex to visiting American scholars in 2010.

South Korean officials say North Korea will likely try to further dial up tensions with provocative weapons tests ahead of the U.S. election to increase its leverage in future diplomacy with a new U.S. government. Experts say North Korea likely thinks an expanded nuclear arsenal would help it win bigger U.S. concessions like extensive sanctions relief.

Earlier Tuesday, North Korea’s vice defense minister, Kim Kang Il, slammed the U.S. for its temporary deployments of powerful military assets to South Korea and vowed strong responses. He cited the recent visit of a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine and Tuesday's B-1B flyover.

Kim threatened to bolster North Korea's “powerful war deterrent,” an apparent reference to its nuclear capability, and take unspecified steps to stoke security concerns to the security of the U.S. mainland. Observers say his comments implies North Korea may consider test-firing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, inspects South Korean troops during a celebration to mark the 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day in Seongnam, South Korea Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center right, and his wife Kim Keon Hee attend a celebration to mark the 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day in Seongnam, South Korea Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, arrives for a celebration to mark the 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day in Seongnam, South Korea Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers his speech during a celebration to mark the 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day in Seongnam, South Korea Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol salutes after delivering his speech during a celebration to mark the 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day in Seongnam, South Korea Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Members of the Special Warfare Command parachute as 123-storey skyscraper Lotte World Tower is seen in the background during a celebration to mark 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day, in Seongnam, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct.1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Members of South Korean Air Force's honor guards attend a celebration to mark 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day, in Seongnam, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct.1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

The Black Eagles, the aerobatic team of T-50 jets belonging to South Korea's Air Force, perform during a celebration to mark 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day, in Seongnam, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct.1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Cadets march during a celebration to mark 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day, in Seongnam, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct.1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

A South Korean army Apache helicopter fires flares during a celebration to mark 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day, in Seongnam, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct.1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

Members of the Special Warfare Command give a demonstration of their skills in the traditional Korean martial art of taekwondo during a celebration to mark 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day, in Seongnam, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct.1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

A U.S. Air Force B1 Bomber flies with South Korean Air Force's F-15K fighter jets during a celebration to mark 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day, in Seongnam, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct.1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

A quadruped robot marches during a celebration to mark the 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day in Seongnam, South Korea Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

The Hyunmoo, surface-to-surface missile, march during a celebration to mark 76th anniversary of Korea Armed Forces Day, in Seongnam, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct.1, 2024. (Kim Hong-Ji/Pool Photo via AP)

South Korean special army soldiers parachute down during the media day for the 76th anniversary of Armed Forces Day at Seoul air base in Seongnam, South Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korea's missiles are paraded during the media day for the 76th anniversary of Armed Forces Day at Seoul air base in Seongnam, South Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean special army soldiers parachute down from a plane during the media day for the 76th anniversary of Armed Forces Day at Seoul air base in Seongnam, South Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean army soldiers demonstrate their martial arts skills during the media day for the 76th anniversary of Armed Forces Day at Seoul air base in Seongnam, South Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean soldiers march during the media day for the 76th anniversary of Armed Forces Day at Seoul air base in Seongnam, South Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean soldiers salute during the media day for the 76th anniversary of Armed Forces Day at Seoul air base in Seongnam, South Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean military helicopters fly over armored vehicles during the media day for the 76th anniversary of Armed Forces Day at Seoul air base in Seongnam, South Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean mechanized unit personnel parade with their armored vehicles during the media day for the 76th anniversary of Armed Forces Day at Seoul air base in Seongnam, South Korea, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s parliament on Tuesday formally elected Shigeru Ishiba, head of the governing Liberal Democratic Party, as the country’s new prime minister.

Ishiba was chosen as the party's leader on Friday to replace Fumio Kishida, who then stepped down earlier on Tuesday to pave the way.

Ishiba will announce his new Cabinet later on Tuesday.

Kishida took office in 2021 but left so his party could have a fresh leader after his government was dogged by scandals. Ishiba plans to call a parliamentary election for Oct. 27.

“I believe it is important to have the new administration get the public’s judgment as soon as possible,” Ishiba said Monday in announcing his plan to call a snap election.

Opposition parties criticized Ishiba for allowing only a short period of time for his policies to be examined and discussed in parliament before the national election.

Kishida had announced in August he would resign at the end of his three-year term.

Kishida and his ministers stepped down at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said. Kishida left his office after a brief send-off ceremony in which he was presented a bouquet of red roses and applauded by his staff and former Cabinet members.

“As we face a critical moment in and outside the country, I earnestly hope key policies that will pioneer Japan's future will be powerfully pursued by the new Cabinet,” Kishida said in a statement, citing the need to bolster security amid a deepening global divide, such as Russia's war in Ukraine, while tackling a declining birthrate and population, as well as economic and political reforms at home.

Ishiba earlier announced his party's leaders ahead of naming his Cabinet. Former Environment Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who came in third in the party leadership race, will head the party’s election task force. He is expected to name defense experts Takeshi Iwaya as foreign minister and Gen Nakatani as defense chief.

The majority of his Cabinet ministers, like Ishiba, are expected to be unaffiliated with factions led and controlled by party heavyweights, and none are from former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's powerful group linked to damaging scandals.

Ishiba's lack of stable power base could also mean a fragility of his government, and “could quickly collapse” even though Ishiba hopes to build up party unity as it prepares for the upcoming election, the liberal-leaning Asahi newspaper said.

The move is also seen as revenge by Ishiba, who was largely pushed to the side during most of Abe's reign.

Ishiba has proposed an Asian version of the NATO military alliance and more discussion among regional partners about the use of the U.S. nuclear deterrence. He also suggested a more equal Japan-U.S. security alliance, including joint management of U.S. bases in Japan and having Japanese Self Defense Force bases in the United States.

Ishiba outlined his views in an article to the Hudson Institute last week.

“The absence of a collective self-defense system like NATO in Asia means that wars are likely to break out because there is no obligation for mutual defense. Under these circumstances, the creation of an Asian version of NATO is essential to deter China by its Western allies,” he wrote.

Ishiba proposes combining of existing security and diplomatic groupings, such as the Quad and other bilateral and multilateral frameworks involving the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea and the Philippines.

He also noted that the Asian version of NATO can also consider sharing of the control of U.S. nuclear weapons in the region as a deterrence against growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia.

Ishiba on Friday stressed Japan needs to reinforce its security, noting recent violations of Japanese airspace by Russian and Chinese warplanes and repeated missile launches by North Korea.

He pledged to continue Kishida’s economic policy aimed at pulling Japan out of deflation and achieving real salary increases, while tackling challenges such as Japan’s declining birthrate and population and resilience to natural disasters.

The LDP has had a nearly unbroken tenure governing Japan since World War II. The party members may have seen Ishiba’s more centrist views as crucial in pushing back challenges by the liberal-leaning opposition and winning voter support as the party reels from corruption scandals that drove down Kishida’s popularity.

Ishiba, first elected to parliament in 1986, has served as defense minister, agriculture minister and in other key Cabinet posts, and was LDP secretary general under Abe.

Follow AP's Asia-Pacific coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/asia-pacific

Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stops as media members asked him to make a comment before he leaves the prime minister's office in Tokyo Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stops as media members asked him to make a comment before he leaves the prime minister's office in Tokyo Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stops as media members asked him to make a comment before he leaves the prime minister's office in Tokyo Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Lawmakers wait for the start of the extraordinary session at parliament's lower house Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japanese outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, and Economic Security Minister Sanae Takaichi talk ahead of the extraordinary session of parliament's lower house Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Shigeru Ishiba, top, sits ahead of the extraordinary session of parliament's lower house Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, front, is seen off as he leaves the prime minister's office in Tokyo Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center left showing his back, waves towards staff members and politicians as he leaves the prime minister's office in Tokyo Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, smiles as he leaves the prime minister's office in Tokyo Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Japan's outgoing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, speaks as he leaves the prime minister's office in Tokyo Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a Cabinet meeting at his office in Tokyo before his resignation Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, attends a Cabinet meeting at his office in Tokyo before his resignation Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024. (Kyodo News via AP)