S. Korea to bolster capabilities to head off N.K. nuclear, missile attacks

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, June 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Friday unveiled a revision of its
long-term national defense reform plan, seeking to reinforce its capabilities to
choke off potential nuclear and missile offensives by North Korea.
The revision of the "National Defense Reform 2020," first introduced in 2005 a
year before North Korea conducted its first nuclear explosion and test-fired a
ballistic missile, comes as tension is heightening on the Korean Peninsula
following the North's second nuclear test last month.
The defense reform plan came under scrutiny early last year, when President Lee
Myung-bak took office in Seoul with a pledge to press harder for the nuclear
disarmament of North Korea, driving the inter-Korean relations to the lowest ebb
since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a cease-fire, not a peace
treaty.
Amid the escalating hostility, North Korea declared the armistice void last
month, threatening nuclear retaliation in the event of a war and accusing South
Korea and the U.S. of moving to stifle its regime by imposing a blockade.
The new Defense Reform Plan 2020, approved by Lee on Friday, stresses the
importance of expanding high-tech military assets capable of monitoring and
striking North Korean nuclear and missile bases.
The South Korean military "should reinforce its capacity to perform surveillance
and reconnaissance, conduct precision-guided strikes and make interceptions,"
according to the reform plan.
The reinforcement is aimed at "stemming and eliminating to a maximum degree" what
the Ministry of National Defense described as the North's "asymmetrical threats"
-- nuclear and missile programs.
"If it becomes clear that North Korea is moving to hit us with nuclear and
missile arsenal, we will hit its bases as quickly as possible to prevent launches
no matter where they are," a senior official, who took part in creating the new
defense guidelines, said.
South Korea's ability to scrutinize North Korean bases north of Pyongyang remains
limited because of its lack of high-tech intelligence equipment, according to
South Korean defense sources.
The latest guidelines seek to redress the shortfall by 2020 through the
acquisition of drones and satellites, the official said, speaking on condition of
anonymity because he is not allowed to disclose his identity to the public.
"But we don't by any means have any intention to consider a preemptive strike on
North Korean bases when there is no clear evidence of an imminent attack," he
said.
The revised reform plan, which estimates about 599.3 trillion won (US$466
billion) will be needed to meet the goals, said North Korea's special forces and
its long-range artillery positioned along the border represented the other areas
where the South remained under strength.
"A fierce and large-scale engagement between ground troops is inevitable upon the
start of a war," the document said, predicting that U.S. and South Korean air
forces would have difficulties navigating the rugged topography to provide close
air support.
The U.S. has 28,500 troops and about 80 non-rotational fighter aircraft stationed
here as a deterrent against North Korea.
The document said other assets South Korea should introduce to improve its
defenses against nuclear and missile threats include interceptors that can be
launched from naval vessels.
Refurbishment of defense facilities against electromagnetic pulses emitted from a
nuclear explosion is also part of the systems the document suggested. The pulses,
weapons experts say, can paralyze defense systems outside the range of a blast.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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