The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has ordered troops to defend the Northern Limit Line (NLL) maritime border by all means and sternly retaliate against North Korean provocations.
 
During a visit to the Second Navy Fleet headquarters Saturday morning, Choi Yun-hee said that if the North provokes, the South's military will mobilize all combat power to sternly punish the origin of the attack.
 
The chairman also held an urgent meeting in Seoul with Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, commander of the Combined Forces Command, and reaffirmed the two sides' commitment to keep close tabs on North Korean military moves and sternly respond to any provocations.

North Korea on Friday threatened to attack South Korean warships without warning if they continue to intrude its waters.
 
On Saturday, the regime declared it had successfully test-fired underwater ballistic missiles from submarines.
 
But a South Korean military official said the test-fires barely broke the surface of the sea, adding that at present the probability of actual missile capabilities is low.