SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean President Yun Seok-yeol on Wednesday ordered the military to respond “quickly and firmly” if North Korea launches any provocation, amid fears Pyongyang could hold its first nuclear test in five years.

The presidential office said Yun, who took office in May, was holding his first meeting with top military leaders and called for a massive arsenal to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs.

North Korea has been conducting missile tests at an unprecedented pace this year and is likely gearing up for its seventh nuclear test.

“President Yoon said strong defense capabilities must be prepared to protect the country’s security and national interests as security concerns in South Korea and Northeast Asia are more urgent than ever,” the office said. .

Yun met with US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida last week on the sidelines of a NATO summit in the Spanish capital Madrid, and the leaders agreed to find more ways to strengthen deterrence against North Korea.