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Kill Chain missle strike system

The South Korean military recently decided to move up development of military response capabilities for the North Korean nuclear and missile threats to the early 2020s.

The measures were included in a 2018-2022 Mid-Term National Defense Plan released on Apr. 11 by the Ministry of National Defense. The plans, which serve as blueprints for construction and operation of military strength over the following five years, are announced on an annual basis.

Most notably, the ministry plans to move up the schedule for building what it bills as a “Korean-model three-axis system” to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs from the mid-2020s to the early 2020s. The system refers to three types of military measures: a Kill Chain” for a preemptive strike in response to signs of an imminent North Korean missile or nuclear weapon attack, a Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) system to intercept North Korean missiles, and a Korean Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) system for retaliating directly against the North Korean leadership in the event of a nuclear attack.

For the Kill Chain, the military plans to rent four to five intelligence satellites from overseas to monitor North Korea. The rentals are to take place for a limited time until development and operation of South Korea’s own intelligence satellites in the early 2020s. The military also plans to introduce or obtain new guided bombs, Hyunmoo-2 ballistic missiles, Hyunmoo-3 cruise missiles, and Taurus air-to-ground missiles to strike against North Korean nuclear and missile facilities.

For KAMD, it plans to acquire new Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles and hasten performance improvements in its medium-range surface-to-air missile (M-SAM) system. For KMPR, it plans to improve the capabilities of UH-60 and UH-47D helicopters for special forces entering enemy lines and acquire unmanned reconnaissance drones for special operations.

By Park Byong-su, senior staff writer

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