Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
Defense ministry to develop next generation weapons
By Jun Ji-hye
The Ministry of National Defense is set to develop next generation weapons through convergence with ICT (information communication technology) as a response to North Korea’s development of asymmetric military capabilities.
The envisioned weapons evolved as part of a project, dubbed “Creative National Defense,” include using lasers, and EMP (electromagnetic pulses) and HPM (high-power microwave) bombs, according to the ministry, Monday.
It is believed that such devices could incapacitate Pyongyang’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Defense Minister Han Min-koo explained that the military will apply the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data to shift the war paradigm to “softkill” from “hardkill.”
Using high-tech solutions, the military will also develop “smart soldiers” who will wear sensor-based combat uniforms and wearable computers to effectively carry out network centric warfare.
Softkill measures are based on a sensor-based weapons system that can successfully paralyze the enemy’s military forces and their weapon systems without physically and directly attacking them like hardkill measures.
In its effort to strengthen its asymmetric military capabilities, the communist state has nearly doubled the number of its cyber warfare operatives to around 5,900 over the last two years, estimate military authorities in the South.
Han said, “It is time to develop military science and shape future forces because the defense budget and available military force is limited.”
He reported the creative defense project to President Park Geun-hye at Cheong Wa Dae.
“New fighting power, created through convergence with new technology, has dominated the battlefield. This is a lesson from war history and this is why the military needs to be innovated,” said Han.
He added that the ministry’s creative defense project is part of efforts to meet President Park’s creative economy initiative.
However, skepticism also arose after the ministry suggested abstract concepts without accounting for specific and detailed plans, such as how to secure budget, and completion dates.
Some vernacular media reported that the military is expected to complete the projects by the early 2020s. But Han said, “We cannot determine the date of completion as the project has been drawn up as a medium- to long-term plan.”
A high-ranking ministry official noted, asking not to be named, “We are now passing the stage of conceptualization. Institutionalization and operability will come after this.”
The official added the military has been investing 28.9 billion won ($27 million) since 2012 to conduct concept research into a laser beam weapons system.
The ministry’s project was included in the comprehensive visions jointly prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Unification, and the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, to achieve unification between the two Koreas, one of the main drives of the Park administration.
Han also vowed to improve welfare for servicemen, reform the culture in military barracks, and provide practical-level education and training.
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