South Korea's Defense Minister Han Min-koo warned Tuesday that his country will launch a pre-emptive strike if there are clear signs of an imminent North Korean missile attack.

His remarks came two days after the communist state fired another ballistic missile, which it claimed was a mid- to long-range missile capable of carrying a "large-size, heavy" nuclear warhead and targeting the continental United States.

"Our position is that we can launch a pre-emptive strike to reduce damage on our side if there are clear signs of an imminent North Korean missile attack," Han told a session of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee.

Defense Minister Han Min-koo speaks during a parliamentary session at the National Assembly in Seoul on May 16, 2017. (Yonhap)

South Korea's Defense Minister Han Min-koo warned Tuesday that his country will launch a pre-emptive strike if there are clear signs of an imminent North Korean missile attack.

His remarks came two days after the communist state fired another ballistic missile, which it claimed was a mid- to long-range missile capable of carrying a "large-size, heavy" nuclear warhead and targeting the continental United States.

"Our position is that we can launch a pre-emptive strike to reduce damage on our side if there are clear signs of an imminent North Korean missile attack," Han told a session of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee. (Yonhap)

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