S. Korea needs to enhance anti-missile capability against North’s threats

S. Korea needs to enhance anti-missile capability against North’s threats. September. 08, 2016 07:27. .

It is somewhat remarkable and surprising to see how fast North Korea is upgrading its missiles. It has been reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stressed the need to continue making miraculous achievements in bolstering up the nuclear force one after another in this historic year after the nation test-fired three Rodong missiles on Monday. His remarks may reflect Pyongyang succeeded in diversifying its ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads and upgrading the existing missiles. It was not a bluff at all. The isolated regime revealed a new type of nuclear warheads with sharp tips, different from the warheads of Rodong missiles seen on July 21. Also, it had never launched three ballistic missiles at the same time before, putting Japan on emergency as its Aegis destroyers can shoot down only one missile at a time.

The U.N. Security Council has adopted its ninth press statement in an emergency meeting on Monday condemning Pyongyang’s missile launch. North Korea tested 13 missiles this year and the U.N. Security Council has come up only with verbal statements one after another. North Korea claimed in January it tested a hydrogen bomb, its fourth nuclear test, and successfully miniaturized nuclear warheads. Pyongyang also tested launch of the long-range Kwangmyongsong-4 satellite in February and the intermediate-range Hwasong-10 (Musudan) missile in June. The nation also conducted a test of its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) last month.

North Korea had never gave up its test of Musudan missiles after five failed launches, three in April, one in May and one in June, and successfully conducted its sixth test launch in June. One of the contributing factors to North Korea’s increased missile capabilities is the Kim Jong Un regime’s devoted support for nuclear and missile scientists as Pyongyang is trying to weaponize its advanced nuclear and missile technology to protect the regime from the U.S. intervention. North Korea’s nuclear armament is one of the leading causes behind U.S. President Barack Obama’s intention on ruling out a no-first-use policy on nuclear weapons.

The South Korea’s military has played down North Korea’s missile capabilities whenever Pyongyang failed launches. Against the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system capable of defending the nation from North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, not only the opposition party members but also residents of THAAD candidate site and the ruling party members based in Daegu City and North Gyeongsang Province have raised their voices against the anti-missile system. Let’s say that readiness of South Korea’s military remains unreliable and THAAD, even funded by the U.S. Forces in South Korea, has nowhere to be based. What’s left for South Korea to protect the nation and its people?

During the summit meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye, Chinese President Xi Jinping was clear that China opposed THAAD deployment in South Korea. It will be a challenging path going forward for the U.S. and South Korea to persuade Beijing. This is a time to acknowledge that international sanctions and diplomatic efforts have limitations to deter North Korea’s nuclear threats. The South Korean government should be more assertive and step up its efforts to base THAAD system in South Korea while allocating more national defense budgets on growing its own capabilities in defense of the country from North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.