North Korea is ramping up its missile launches and simulated attacks against the South, with experts warning a nuclear test may be imminent.
The isolated communist dynasty under Kim Jong Un recently passed a law enshrining the right to use pre-emptive nuclear strikes and making its status as a nuclear-armed nation "irreversible".
The latest displays of military force come as South Korea is under new leadership, with President Yoon Suk-yeol regarded as taking a more hard-line approach than his predecessor, altering the domestic politics and regional dynamics.
