President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would allow Japan and South Korea to buy more "highly sophisticated" US military equipment, amid soaring tensions after Pyongyang's latest atomic test. "I am allowing Japan & South Korea to buy a substantially increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment from the United States," Trump said in a tweet.
Trump's statement came after North Korea on Sunday detonated what it described as a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile, sparking global alarm with what was by far its most powerful test to date. On Monday, the South's military launched a volley of ballistic missiles simulating an attack on the North's nuclear test site. Trump did not elaborate on the kind of weaponry and equipment he had in mind, but the White House has said the president is willing to approve the sale of "many billions of dollars' worth of military weapons and equipment" to Seoul.