Seoul president Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Donald Trump agreed on Monday to lift the warhead weight limit on South Korea’s missiles in the wake of North Korea’s sixth nuclear test.
This comes as tensions remain high following North Korea’s huge nuclear test on Sunday.
Seoul’s missile warheads are currently capped at 500kg, but this will be lifted according to South Korea’s presidential office.
An unlimited warhead weight allowance would enable the South to strike North Korea with greater force if there was military conflict.
The missiles would still be restricted to a flight range cap of 800km.
The two presidents made the decision in a phone call along with reaching the agreement that now is the best time to apply the strongest sanctions and pressure on North Korea.
They also want the toughest sanctions to be pursued at the United Nations.
US ambassador Nikki Haley has told the United Nations Security Council that only the “strongest” economic sanctions would be acceptable.
South Korean defence minister Song Young-moo asked his American counterpart, Jim Mattis, for US aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and B-52 bombers to be sent to South Korea more regularly.
He said: “I told him that it would be good for strategic assets to be sent regularly to the Korean Peninsula and that some South Korean lawmakers and media are strongly pushing for tactical nuclear weapons to be redeployed.”
Many policymakers believe cutting off the oil pipeline to North Korea would damage its economy, however China has not yet said it would cooperate.
President Moon Jae-in also said to Russian president Vladimir Putin that the UN Security Council should seek ways to stop North Korea’s foreign currency income, including from its workers employed abroad and oil shipments.