South Korea holds live fire drills

South Korea holds live-fire drills that simulate destroying North Korea's leadership

"The reason they want it, I think, is they want to be able to either respond to North Korean provocation or they want North Korea to be aware that they have the capability to respond if North Korea goes too far," said Schuster, now a Hawaii Pacific University professor.

"To an extent it's as much a political as an operational development that's important to South Korean self-confidence."

Moon has sought to be "more accommodating" to North Korea than his predecessor and looked for nonmilitary ways to resolve the situation, Schuster said, but the North's recent actions have undermined public confidence in his policies.

They have also alarmed South Korea's allies in the region and around the world.

The United States responded this week to a series of missiles launches by North Korea -- one of them over Japan -- bystaging a mock bombing drill with South Korea over the Korean Peninsula. South Korea also held a live-fire drill simulating the destruction of North Korea's leadership.

South Korean and US forces carry out a joint air defense exercise this week over the Korean Peninsula.

Pressure on China?

Allowing South Korea more powerful weaponry signals to the North that Seoul will not necessarily be constrained by the United States and that it has an independent ability to react, Schuster said.