Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

North Korea raises its level of nuclear and missile threats

Ability to minimize nuclear weapons and shoot long-range missiles thought to be at a substantial level

Reinforced artillery and mechanization … ongoing construction of ballistic missile-equipped submarine

Reemphasize the actual boundary line of NLL … introduced main performance of national defense policy

Ministry of National Defense(MND) assessed that North Korea’s nuclear weapon minimization has reached a substantial level, and it has a long-range missile that could be a threat to the continental U.S.

Reflecting the recent trend related to North Korean nuclear and missile threats, MND published the “2014 White Paper” on January 6.

“There is no intelligence that North Korea has finished the minimization of nuclear weapons, but when considering that the achievement period of existing nuclear development states is two to seven years and it has been about eight years since North Korea conducted the first nuclear experiment in 2006, we assumed its nuclear weapon minimization ability has reached a substantial level,” said defense policy director Ryu Je-Seung, explaining the technical background of the 2014 White Paper.

It has emerged that the conventional forces of North Korea are more reinforced than when the 2012 White Paper was published. According to the 2014 White Paper, North Korean ground forces have strengthened their artillery and mechanized fighting power by increasing to 700 multiple rocket launchers, 100 tanks and 300 armored vehicles, and the Navy has continuously built up a new form of submarine including the latest ballistic missile-capable submarine to raise surface and in-water attacks.

In addition, it increased contents about the NLL to emphasize that the NLL is the actual sea border between South and North Korea. MND has clearly defined and described the NLL since the 2012 White Paper, and in this year‘s book, sentences were added that the Korean and U.S. defense ministers urged North Korea to admit the actual value of the NLL  at the 43rd to 46th Security Consultative Meetings (SCM) and comply with it.

This first White Paper published since the inauguration of the Park Geun-hye government compiled all the highly attentive pending issues and performances of national defense policy for last two years, such as reinforcement of reaction capability against North Korean weapons of mass destruction (WMD) threat, switch-over of the wartime OPCON based on conditions, settlement of open military culture, innovation of a defensive strength enhancement project and many other issues. And there are special supplements for performance of national defense policy including adjustment of Korea Air Defense Identification Zone(KADIZ), Seoul Security Dialogue, repatriation of Chinese military remains, etc.

The 2014 White Paper consists of nine chapters and 31 passages in total. The first chapter includes the analysis of the world and Southeast security situation and the threat factors, and the second one takes a general view of national security strategy and defense policy. For chapters three through nine, accomplishments and policy direction by seven keynotes of national defense policy, such as establishment of firm defense posture; enhancement of future-oriented independent national defense capability; strengthening of the Korea-U.S. alliance development and national defense diplomacy and cooperation; military measures and preparation corresponding to changes in the relationship between South and North Korea; activation of innovative national defense management and defense industry; shaping proud, effective service conditions; and enforcement of defense policy for respecting people.

Furthermore, it contains various QR codes so that e-books and promotion videos are available through smartphones and tablet PCs.

The Ministry posted the full text of the 2014 White Paper on the MND website on January 6 and will distribute printed books to the National Assembly, Press, government, research institutes, libraries, etc., in January.

By Chul-Hwan, Kim < droid001@dema.mil.kr >
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