North Korea Nuclear Test: South Korea Fires Missiles In Drill

South Korea has conducted a live-fire exercise simulating an attack on the North Korean nuclear site, in response to Pyongyang's sixth nuclear test.

The drill involved ballistic missiles and rockets launched from fighter jets.

It comes after the United States and South Korea agreed that Seoul's missile deterrent capability should be enhanced.

South Korea is currently banned from building its own nuclear weapons under a 1974 atomic energy deal it signed with Washington.

Donald Trump also indicated his approval of Seoul's plan to buy billions of dollars worth of American military equipment.

The move to enhance South Korea’s missile defence systems comes shortly after a missile was fired by North Korea into the sea surrounding Japan.

Pyongyang fired a Hwasong-12 over Japan on Tuesday, which it said was a mere "curtain-raiser" for the North's "resolute countermeasures" against ongoing US-South Korean military drills.

The missile was fired as US and South Korean forces neared the end of their annual Ulchi Freedom Guardian joint exercises, a move which has long been seen as a form of provocation by the North.

The White house said in a statement that US President Donald Trump and South Korean Leader Moon Jae-in had spoken about North Korea’s "continued destabilizing and escalatory behaviour" on the phone.

Park Soo-hyun, the spokesman for Seoul's presidential office, said the leaders had reached a preliminary agreement to relax restrictions on the South’s weapons capability.

Currently, South Korea hosts 28,500 U.S. troops tasked with defending the country.