US provides missiles to South Korea

The United States will supply South Korea with 40 surface-to-air missiles to enhance its military might against threats originating from the North amid growing tensions in the region. Quoting military sources, Seoul's Yonhap News Agency reported Sunday that the Defense Ministry would obtain the missiles for an Aegis destroyer in July. Meanwhile, South Korean Defense Minister Lee Sang-Hee claimed Tuesday in a parliamentary hearing that Pyongyang was secretly enriching uranium to advance its nuclear program. "It is clear that they are moving forward with it," he alleged. The developments come following the testing of missiles and nuclear devices by the North. According to military officials, the missiles were designed to track and shoot down objects up to 160 kilometers away. Relations between the two Koreas have also deteriorated following the election of the conservative President Lee Myung-bak in Seoul last year. The US has warned that it would not tolerate any action by the North against Washington's regional allies. Pyongyang insists it nuclear program is deterrent against US forces in the region and accuses US President Barack Obama of plotting with regional allies to topple the communist regime.