Defense News:
On Oct. 11, Chong Jong-sup, an opposition member of South Korea’s National Assembly, revealed that South Korean naval vessels failed to detect numerous missiles launched from North Korea between May and September. Seoul’s failure to detect these launches indicates South Korea’s need to reassess not only its ballistic missile defense capabilities, but also its recent decision to terminate an essential bilateral military information-sharing agreement with Japan.
According to Chong, South Korean Navy vessels equipped with the Aegis defense system failed to detect and track North Korean ballistic missile launches on May 4, May 9, July 25, Aug. 2 and Sept. 10. According to the U.S. Congressional Research Service, the Aegis ballistic missile defense system gives vessels the “capability for providing regional defense against short and medium-range ballistic missile attacks.” Currently, the U.S., South Korea and Japan all deploy Aegis-equipped destroyers in the Pacific region.