Defense News:
MELBOURNE, Australia — South Korea intends to further boost its military’s command and control as well as surveillance capabilities as the country’s president reiterated his desire to see it entrusted with wartime control of its forces.
Speaking at a ceremony to commemorate the nation’s 69th Armed Forces Day on Sept. 28 at the Republic of Korea Navy’s Second Fleet headquarters in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, President Moon Jae-in said that by increasing defense capabilities and reducing its reliance on the American military, South Korea would project more power in the region and better deter an attack by North Korea.
He did reiterate, however, that he aims to strengthen South Korea’s ties with the U.S., noting that “we can fundamentally prevent North Korea’s nuclear provocations when the expanded deterrence of the [South] Korea-U.S. alliance is effectively manifested.”
South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense displayed several of the country’s most advanced military capabilities at the event, including the public debut of the Hyunmoo-2C ballistic missile, which has a range of almost 500 miles that enables it to potentially strike deep inside North Korea. In response to North Korea’s missile test on Sept. 14, South Korea conducted a quick launch of its own, test-firing a pair of Hyunmoo-2 missiles within six minutes…
