Defense Minister Han Min-koo has ordered airtight security against North Korea, saying that Pyongyang's nuclear weapons and missiles are the nation's most direct and tangible threats.
 
The Defense Ministry said Han made the remark on his visit to the Patriot artillery unit on Friday to monitor military readiness and encourage soldiers during the Lunar New Year holidays.
 
Han said the North is again threatening to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile. He added that Pyongyang's missile threat over the Seoul metropolitan area, where key facilities and the population are centered, is directly linked to national security.
 
The minister said defending South Korea's freedom and peace is a mission of the military that can't be compromised. 

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