North Korea's parliament was set to meet on Monday at a time of soaring military tensions and a day after ruling party leaders vowed to enshrine Pyongyang's right to nuclear weapons in law.
The annual single-day session of the Supreme People's Assembly usually scores low on important policy announcements -- its role largely limited to unanimously pushing through pre-decided budgets and personnel changes.
But with North Korea having declared itself in a "state of war" with the South, Monday's session will be closely watched for any sign of the current crisis impacting on the fortunes of members of the ruling elite.
S Korea leader vows "strong" retaliation to North
South Korea's new president on Monday promised a strong military response to any North Korean provocation after Pyongyang announced that the two countries were now in a state of war.
President Park Geun-Hye's warning came as North Korea's parliament was set to hold its annual session and a day after ruling party leaders vowed to enshrine Pyongyang's right to nuclear weapons in law.
In a meeting with senior military officials and Defence Minister Kim Kwan-Jin, Park said she took the near-daily stream of bellicose threats emanating from the North over the past month "very seriously."
"I believe that we should make a strong and immediate retaliation without any other political considerations if (the North) stages any provocation against our people," she said.
US deploys F-22 stealth fighters to S Korea
The US military said on Monday it had deployed stealth fighters to South Korea as part of an ongoing joint military exercise that has triggered dire North Korean threats of armed retribution.
Two F-22 Raptor fighters arrived in the South on Sunday to participate in the annual "Foal Eagle" exercise that will last until April 30, a spokesman for the US forces in South Korea told AFP.
The jets were reportedly flown out of the US air base in Okinawa, Japan.
Although it is not the first time F-22s have been used in the annual drill, their presence is could further infuriate Pyongyang at a time of sharply escalating military tensions.
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