Defense minister says South should deal with North through 'power'

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup outlined a comprehensive strategy of maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula “through power” to President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup speaks at a press briefing at the Central Government Complex in Jongno District, central Seoul after attending a joint briefing of the foreign and defense ministries at the Blue House. [YONHAP]

Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup outlined a comprehensive strategy of maintaining peace on the Korean Peninsula “through power” to President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday .

In a proposal entitled, “Implementing Peace by Power,” Lee said that South Korea’s military would focus on establishing overwhelming response capabilities against asymmetric threats, such as North Korea's nuclear weapons and missiles, as well as supporting the domestic defense industry so that the country becomes one of the top four defense exporters in the world.

Lee said that in order for South Korea to “respond overwhelmingly to asymmetric threats such as nuclear weapons and missiles,” the military will focus on six tasks, including expanding its independent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities and upgrading its so-called K-3 system, which comprises three intertwined response systems to pre-emptively destroy, intercept and retaliate against North Korea in case of a missile attack.

Lee also said that Seoul’s armed forces would work to strengthen their ability to respond to future potential North Korean drone incursions.

“We will analyze the threat emanating from small-scale unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and the weaknesses detected during our [last] response to build up an overwhelming military response capability and readiness,” the report said.

The minister also reported that South Korea’s military would operate surveillance and reconnaissance assets in tandem with the U.S. military to detect and identify drones early, jam their flight functions, and shoot them down with a variety of weapons and technological methods.

It remains to be seen if the measures reported by the defense minister would markedly improve Seoul’s anti-drone capabilities.

Some of the proposed policies, such as anti-aircraft guns and laser weapons, were previously promised by defense officials after a North Korean drone in 2017 was able to infiltrate South Korean airspace and take photographs of the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) battery in Seongju, North Gyeongsang, located approximately 262 kilometers (162 miles) south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

But some measures tabled by the defense minister are new, such as the establishment of a South Korean joint forces strategic command to more effectively respond to evolving North Korean military threats, such as drone invasions.

The South Korean military conducted an anti-drone exercise involving fighter jets from the Air Force and attack helicopters from the Army, as well as a drone gun and ground-based anti-aircraft weapons, at the end of December after it failed to counter an incursion of five drones from the North.

South Korean defense officials would also work with their U.S. counterparts to enhance the credibility of the U.S. extended nuclear deterrent and increase the number of joint military exercises with the U.S. military, according to the report.

The report also said that the Defense Ministry will “expand government support to defense companies so they can fulfill the demands of weapons purchasing countries, promote post-sales deals to encourage additional purchases, and foster a supportive environment to take on challenging research and development ventures.”

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]