Air force ready to aid Thais in South Korea

Air force ready to aid Thais in South Korea

Thai people living in South Korea are still leading normal lives, but Thai authorities say they are ready to provide assistance if the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula intensifies.

The Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday there are about 43,000 Thais in South Korea, and that the Thai embassy in Seoul is carefully monitoring the situation.

According to the embassy, Seoul had not issued security warnings yet and international airlines were operating normally.

South Korean marines stand on K-55 self-propelled howitzers during an exercise against possible attacks by North Korea near the border village of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea on Monday. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

The ministry will consider how best to provide assistance for Thai people in South Korea if the tensions intensify and disrupt their lives.

Bangkok has expressed its concern about a possible confrontation between North and South Korea, warning it would affect regional stability. It has called on Pyongyang to listen to the global community and discontinue its nuclear weapons programme and other provocative activities.

The government urged all sides to exercise patience and prudence and resolve the conflict through talks.

Air force chief Prajin Jantong said two C-130 transport aircraft and an Airbus 310 were standing by ready to evacuate Thai people within 48 hours if fighting breaks out between South Korea and North Korea.

"It is difficult to predict the situation and whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is brave enough [to attack]," ACM Prajin said.

Meanwhile, North Korea announced on Tuesday it was "readjusting and restarting" all facilities at its main Yongbyon nuclear complex, including a reactor mothballed in 2007, AFP reported, quoting the official KCNA agency.

A nuclear energy spokesman said the move was being made in line with a policy of "bolstering the nuclear armed force both in quality and quantity" as well as solving "acute" electricity shortages.

Tensions have been high since the North's young new leader, Kim Jong-un, ordered a nuclear weapons test in February, breaching United Nations sanctions and ignoring warnings from North Korea's closest ally, China, not to do so.

In protest at joint South Korean-US military drills, North Korea last month declared it was ripping up the armistice that ended the 1950-53 Korean war void and threatened a "pre-emptive nuclear strike" on South Korean and US targets.

On Saturday, it announced that it had formally entered into a "state of war" with South Korea.

Seoul and Washington have warned of severe repercussions in the event of any aggression, with the US deploying nuclear capable B-52 and B-2 stealth bombers, as well as F-22 stealth fighters over South Korea as a "deterrence".

The advanced F-22 Raptors were deployed to Osan Air Base, the main US Air Force base in South Korea, from Japan to support ongoing bilateral exercises, the US military command in South Korea said in a statement that urged North Korea to restrain itself.

"[North Korea] will achieve nothing by threats or provocations, which will only further isolate North Korea and undermine international efforts to ensure peace and stability in Northeast Asia," the statement said.

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