Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Korea and the U.S. strengthening confrontation against asymmetric threats, North Korea’s small drones

MND and the Pentagon said on April 17, at the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue, that they had an agreement to strengthen mutual assistance to react to the asymmetric threat from North Korea for small sized-drones.

KIDD, held in Washington, D.C., for two days, April 15-16, was attended by Republic of Korea’s Deputy Defense Minister Ryu Je-seung; Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s Chief of Staff Mark Lippert; Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia David Helvey; and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy Elaine Bunn.

Both representatives discussed “Wartime control changeover based on conditions” proposed by Korea and agreed to continuous cooperation for the future command structure, combined exercise planning, Korea’s key military capability, and the U.S.’s complementary and sustaining capability.

They also shared recognition that small drones as well as missile firing, maritime artillery exercises in the West Sea and the threat of additional nuclear experiments that North Korea has currently been conducting were definite provocative actions hindering the stability of the Korean Peninsula and the region.

In addition, both countries reconfirmed the promise that the U.S. would operate every possible military capability including nuclear umbrella, traditional strike capabilities and missile defense capabilities to protect Republic of Korea from the spreading threats. They included specific plans of implementation of applying these to a combined exercise to ensure reliability, effectiveness and continuity of extended deterrence and customized deterrence strategy.

Moreover, they discussed strengthening plans for inter-operating Korea’s Kill Chain and KAMD (Korea Air and Missile Defense), exchanging opinions about co-development of the comprehensive response ability to missiles to ensure detecting, defending, disturbing and destroying any missile coming from North Korea.

There were other alliance pending issues discussed including local and global security cooperation, response and interdiction to WMD (weapons of mass destruction), C4I interoperability, cyber space cooperation, etc.

A relevant MND official said, “Both have ensured that close cooperation is important to deter North Korea and respond to its provocation effectively. Korea will intensify the combined defense posture through enhancement of combined defense capability and continuous combined exercises to protect us and deter North Korea’s provocation and aggression.”

Meanwhile, the sixth KIDD will be held in Seoul next July.

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