North Korean Supreme leader Kim Jong-Un. Photo: Yonhap

The US and South Korean armies signed a contingency plan Friday that lays out South Korean and US roles in responding to future provocations from North Korea. South Korea’s defense authorities said that under the plan, its army will take the leading role in the first phase of army response to aggression on the Korea peninsula. If the conflict escalates, US armed forces will supply reinforcements from both inside and outside South Korea, including US forces in Japan and other locations under the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM).