South Korea Takes Tit-For-Tat Approach Against the North

The release of the video comes following North Korea’s launch of another ballistic missile in the early hours of Tuesday, passing Japanese skies for the first time, with Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon calling the unprovoked military action ‘a whole new level of grave provocation’, concerning the distance the missile flew. (Image: Yonhap)

SEOUL, Aug. 29 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korean military officials have released video footage of ballistic missile flight tests including those with a range of 500 and 800 kilometers as a show of force amid growing threats from North Korea, signaling a shift in president Moon Jae-in’s North Korea policy towards a more tit-for-tat approach.

The release of the video comes following North Korea’s launch of another ballistic missile in the early hours of Tuesday, passing Japanese skies for the first time, with Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon calling the unprovoked military action ‘a whole new level of grave provocation’, concerning the distance the missile flew.

While a standing committee of the National Security Council was formed to discuss possible countermeasures soon after the news broke, President Moon reportedly ordered a ‘show of great force’ in response to the latest launch of a ballistic missile by North Korea, putting military forces on high alert.

In an official statement released later on the same day, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), said, “Last Thursday, we conducted a flight test for the new ballistic missiles developed under the leadership of the ADD with a range of 500 and 800 kilometers before deployment.

“Our military has a three-pronged system of its own in preparation for attacks from North Korea, having bolstered military force by expanding missile ranges, developing a variety of warheads as well as developing a new ballistic missile with more precision.”

According to the ADD, the newly developed short range ballistic missile is the ‘core military strength’ of the country’s military strategy against North Korea and the kill chain system, an American military contingency plan to launch pre-emptive attacks when an imminent conflict is detected through satellite images.

The new short-range ballistic missile is capable of precisely targeting main military facilities across North Korea, the ADD has claimed.

As reports say Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha spoke on the phone with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to ramp up joint efforts to respond to North Korea’s provocation with stricter and stronger measures, the South Korean government’s North Korean policy is expected to gear towards more economic sanctions and military drills in the upcoming weeks amid the growing belligerence from the North.

Hyunsu Yim (hyunsu@koreabizwire.com)