South Korean military set to launch new 'strategic command' around October

The Cabinet on Tuesday passed a presidential decree to create a new military command in charge of strategic operations later this year to enhance deterrence against growing North Korean military threats, the defense ministry said.

The Cabinet on Tuesday passed a presidential decree to create a new military command in charge of strategic operations later this year to enhance deterrence against growing North Korean military threats, the Defense Ministry said.

South Korea has sought to establish the strategic command to serve as an overarching organ to deter and respond to a North Korean nuclear or weapons of mass destruction (WMD) attack by utilizing key military assets from "high-power" ballistic missiles to special operations forces.

With the approval, the unit is set to launch around October in southern Seoul, overseeing missile, cyber, drone and special operations units, as well as certain Navy and Air Force assets when needed, while leading efforts to integrate South Korea's advanced conventional forces with U.S. nuclear capabilities.

The allies have pushed to integrate such capabilities to better counter the North's evolving nuclear threats. In this vein, they signed a joint guidelines document for nuclear deterrence earlier this month.

A ministry official said the new command will serve as a counterpart to the U.S. Strategic Command in charge of America's nuclear arsenal to work together in the allies' deterrence efforts.

The official said the command will also focus on developing Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR), an operational plan to incapacitate the North's leadership in a major conflict, and the Kill Chain preemptive strike platform — elements of the military's "three-axis" deterrence system.

The Air Force will remain in charge of the third pillar of the three-pronged system — Korea Air and Missile Defense — as the military does not want to overstretch the envisioned command's role, the official said.

"As a strategic unit to deter and respond to advancing North Korean nuclear and WMD threats, the strategic command will utilize our military's strategic capabilities and safely protect the country and the people by realizing extended deterrence between South Korea and the United States in an integrated manner," the ministry said.

Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to defending an ally with all of its military capabilities, including nuclear weapons.

Yonhap