ID :
47060
Mon, 02/23/2009 - 12:58
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/47060
The shortlink copeid
N. Korea deploys medium-range missiles, bolsters special forces: defense
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; RESTRUCTURES, UPDATES throughout)
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Feb. 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has completed the deployment of its
brand-new medium-range ballistic missiles and expanded its special forces after
examining U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, South Korea said Monday.
The defense ministry also said in its latest assessment of the communist neighbor
that the North has recently bolstered its naval forces, reinforcing submarines
and developing new types of torpedoes.
The 2008-2009 defense white paper, published after weeks of delay, terms the
North's 1.19-million-strong military an "immediate and grave threat," as tension
runs high along a western sea border.
North Korea last month nullified all cross-border military agreements and warned
of an armed clash near the Northern Limit Line -- the scene of deadly naval
battles in 1999 and 2002.
The line was unilaterally drawn by the U.S.-led United Nations command at the end
of the 1950-53 Korean War, which technically continues to this day because it
ended in a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against the
North, which recently reorganized and reinforced its special forces after
reviewing U.S. conflicts in the Middle East, a South Korean official said.
"After examining the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, North Korea appears to have
developed new strategies that can complement its shortfalls while reinforcing its
strengths," said Shin Won-sik, deputy of policy planning at the Ministry of
National Defense.
The number of lightly-equipped special troops who can quickly infiltrate to
strike U.S. and South Korean forces from behind has increased 50 percent to
180,000, Shin said.
"Their aim appears to blur the line between friend and foe once a conflict
erupts," he said, suggesting the North would engage in guerrilla warfare to make
up for its lack of advanced weaponry.
"North Korea deems it very important to be able to quickly cause disarray among
its enemies," he said at a briefing.
The biennial policy report put the amount of plutonium the North has secured at
about 40 kilograms and said Pyongyang has finished the development of its
intermediate-range ballistic missiles that began in the late 1990's.
The missiles were deployed as of last year and can travel up to 3,000 kilometers
-- enough to cover most of Asia -- while carrying warheads of up to 650
kilograms, according to the paper.
The publication did not specify the number of medium-range missiles the North has
deployed "for operational use," but the assessment comes as Washington warns
Pyongyang to stop honing its missile technology.
U.S. and South Korean officials say the North appears to be preparing to
test-fire its longest-range missile, the Taepodong-2, on its east coast.
The multi-stage rocket has an estimated range of over 6,700 kilometers,
theoretically putting Alaska and Hawaii easily within its striking distance.
A Taepodong-2 missile crashed soon after takeoff in a July 2006 test, but the
North appears to have since "taken complementary measures," the paper said.
"It can be concluded that the striking distance could be improved if a warhead
gets less heavy or a third-stage rocket is additionally installed," it added.
North Korea has expanded the warhead capacity of its short-range missiles across
the board, the paper said, while the number of soldiers it has increased by
20,000 from 2006. South Korea has 655,000 troops.
The North's multiple rocket launchers, which experts believe have a range of
hundreds of kilometers and can dodge counter artillery, increased to about 5,100,
an increment of 300, the paper said.
The North has also completed the integration of its naval commands through an
advanced electronic network, the paper added, while strengthening its
capabilities in cyber warfare.
Relations between the divided Koreas deteriorated after South Korean President
Lee Myung-bak took office last year with a tougher stance on the North, drawing a
bitter reaction from Pyongyang.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Feb. 23 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has completed the deployment of its
brand-new medium-range ballistic missiles and expanded its special forces after
examining U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, South Korea said Monday.
The defense ministry also said in its latest assessment of the communist neighbor
that the North has recently bolstered its naval forces, reinforcing submarines
and developing new types of torpedoes.
The 2008-2009 defense white paper, published after weeks of delay, terms the
North's 1.19-million-strong military an "immediate and grave threat," as tension
runs high along a western sea border.
North Korea last month nullified all cross-border military agreements and warned
of an armed clash near the Northern Limit Line -- the scene of deadly naval
battles in 1999 and 2002.
The line was unilaterally drawn by the U.S.-led United Nations command at the end
of the 1950-53 Korean War, which technically continues to this day because it
ended in a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.
About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea as a deterrent against the
North, which recently reorganized and reinforced its special forces after
reviewing U.S. conflicts in the Middle East, a South Korean official said.
"After examining the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, North Korea appears to have
developed new strategies that can complement its shortfalls while reinforcing its
strengths," said Shin Won-sik, deputy of policy planning at the Ministry of
National Defense.
The number of lightly-equipped special troops who can quickly infiltrate to
strike U.S. and South Korean forces from behind has increased 50 percent to
180,000, Shin said.
"Their aim appears to blur the line between friend and foe once a conflict
erupts," he said, suggesting the North would engage in guerrilla warfare to make
up for its lack of advanced weaponry.
"North Korea deems it very important to be able to quickly cause disarray among
its enemies," he said at a briefing.
The biennial policy report put the amount of plutonium the North has secured at
about 40 kilograms and said Pyongyang has finished the development of its
intermediate-range ballistic missiles that began in the late 1990's.
The missiles were deployed as of last year and can travel up to 3,000 kilometers
-- enough to cover most of Asia -- while carrying warheads of up to 650
kilograms, according to the paper.
The publication did not specify the number of medium-range missiles the North has
deployed "for operational use," but the assessment comes as Washington warns
Pyongyang to stop honing its missile technology.
U.S. and South Korean officials say the North appears to be preparing to
test-fire its longest-range missile, the Taepodong-2, on its east coast.
The multi-stage rocket has an estimated range of over 6,700 kilometers,
theoretically putting Alaska and Hawaii easily within its striking distance.
A Taepodong-2 missile crashed soon after takeoff in a July 2006 test, but the
North appears to have since "taken complementary measures," the paper said.
"It can be concluded that the striking distance could be improved if a warhead
gets less heavy or a third-stage rocket is additionally installed," it added.
North Korea has expanded the warhead capacity of its short-range missiles across
the board, the paper said, while the number of soldiers it has increased by
20,000 from 2006. South Korea has 655,000 troops.
The North's multiple rocket launchers, which experts believe have a range of
hundreds of kilometers and can dodge counter artillery, increased to about 5,100,
an increment of 300, the paper said.
The North has also completed the integration of its naval commands through an
advanced electronic network, the paper added, while strengthening its
capabilities in cyber warfare.
Relations between the divided Koreas deteriorated after South Korean President
Lee Myung-bak took office last year with a tougher stance on the North, drawing a
bitter reaction from Pyongyang.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
