Missile Response

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea's missile threat is growing ever more sophisticated as demonstrated in the recent Musudan missile launches. We take a look at the South Korean military's response strategies.

[Pkg]

Should North Korea fire a ballistic missile toward the South, the South Korean military will immediately strike it down. With the military's existing Patriot missiles, interception is possible only up to an altitude of 20 kilometers. However, the U.S. Forces Korea possess an advanced version of the Patriot missile that can reach targets at altitudes up to 40 kilometers. USFK deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense or THAAD system would further allow missile interception at altitudes as high as 150 kilometers. The South Korean military is aiming to develop mid to long range ground-to-air missiles by the mid-2020s to replace the USFK's modified Patriot missiles and the THAAD system, and to build its own domestic missile defense system. A domestic medium range ground to air missile has already undergone successful ballistic missile interception tests back in February. In a meeting of military commanders of the combined armed forces held Thursday, participants assessed the nation's missile defense capacity and discussed future tasks.

[Soundbite] Han Min-koo(Minister of Nat'l Defense) : "Seoul must maintain steadfast defense readiness for stern response to prevent North Korea from even considering provocation."

Some pundits say that development of a Korea-specific domestic missile defense system should be accelerated amid the advancing nuclear and missile capabilities of North Korea.