Fears are growing of U.S. President Donald Trump launching a temperamental preemptive strike on North Korea without consulting Seoul after his abrupt airstrikes on Syria last week.

Repeated statements by the government and the military here that Washington would have to discuss any action with Seoul beforehand have not been able to quell the fears given Trump's inexperience in international relations.

Asked if Seoul would be notified of a preemptive strike beforehand, Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said Tuesday, "Such a strike would be launched based on close cooperation... between Seoul and Washington."

Any strike would have to involve the U.S. Forces Korea, and South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command is under a chain of command consisting of the presidents, defense ministers and chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the two countries. None of them could be bypassed before any strike would be launched.

Moreover, Trump was able to launch the airstrike on Syria without worrying about escalating conflicts or loss of American or allied lives, but North Korea is a different proposition.

