South Korea provocatively rehearsed cruise-missile strikes on the North using live weapons yesterday as the US accused China and Russia of being soft on sanctions.

In a joint exercise with US forces, the South test-fired a missile it claimed it can hit any part of the North and destroy hardened bunkers.

On Monday, the UN security council unanimously passed a greatly watered-down resolution placing limited new sanctions on Pyongyang for its recent nuclear bomb and ballistic missile tests.