Korea needs high tech defense system

By Chang Se-moon

After the masterful handling of the latest provocation from the North, I would really like President Park Geun-hye to seriously consider upgrading the high tech defense preparations in Korea big time.

Consider that the North has nuclear bombs, making actual confrontation too costly to even imagine regardless of which side wins. Consider that only fools will assume that narcissistic and unstable Kim Jong-un of the North will never try another provocation against the South. Consider that the current military balance between the two Koreas can neither be an assurance for continuing peace, nor a comfortable path toward unification. Consider that peace and unification are not cheap, and military confrontations can be avoided only if the North is convinced of the military dominance of the South. Consider finally that one area the South has a clear advantage over the North is in high tech intelligence.

I have no doubt that Korea has been working on high tech military strategies. This is the time when such efforts must be raised to the highest level with the support of Korea’s rich human, as well as financial, resources.

The new paradigm of Korea’s high tech defense policy that I am proposing has three components: (a) laser beam weapons that can destroy all incoming missiles and military hardware; (b) at least a million drones ready to attack every corner of the North if and when provoked; and (c) development of software that can change, if not reverse, the direction of incoming missiles.

Before I elaborate, you may think that I am a crazy dreamer. I may be. However, note that I have published a number of articles on North Korea in academic journals, edited a book on North Korea and made many presentations at prestigious academic conferences on such issues as economic sanctions against North Korea and economic relations among the two Koreas and China. I may be a dreamer, but not a crazy dreamer.

The Aug. 25 agreement between the two Koreas is likely to provide a window of opportunity in that it may take some time before the North considers undertaking another provocative action. Assuming that the agreement will give South Korea two or three years of peaceful relations, that may be enough time to aggressively push the high tech defense preparations to another level. I know Korea will never be able to complete the proposed high tech defense in such a short time. Consider, however, that all Korea has to do is to make progress substantial enough to give a meaningful edge to its military over that of the North.

Going back to the first leg of the proposed high-tech defense preparations, laser weapons are meant to include (a) all heat rays that are not as efficient as a blaster as a weapon, but can play an important role during on-field combat; (b) ray beams which emit needle-thin beams that can easily burn deep holes into their targets such as military vehicles; and (c) especially blaster lasers which emit a pulse of light so intense that it causes the matter it hits to violently explode. Laser blasters can be effective weapons against enemy missiles and airplanes. By the way, laser weapons are no longer a science fiction. The U.S. Navy has been testing classified, high tech lasers that may be deployed in some capacity in about 10 years.

The second leg of the proposed high tech defense preparations relates to military drones that have many different names such as unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV), combat drones and more. Drones are developed by many countries, although American drones hitting terrorist targets are the most famous at this time.

There is no doubt that the North will also develop drones. My suggestion is to stay ahead of the North in development of military drones. The South may also consider publicly adopting a policy, if attacked, of preparing a million drones that can deliver small weapons and ammunition to North Korean civilians. It is a gamble. If a war breaks out, however, everything is a gamble. My bet is that the general public in North Korea will rise up against their leaders if there is a clear signal that the brutal dictatorship in the North will finally end. Public adoption of such policy will force leaders of the North to think over many times before militarily challenging the South.

The final leg of the proposed high tech defense preparations may be the most difficult. All long-range missiles are basically controlled by electronic devises, i.e., software, to guide routes toward their targets. As mentioned earlier, one area in which the South is clearly superior to the North is in electronic technology. Why does the South not try to develop technology that can change the course of incoming missiles so that they can go back to where they came from?

If the South can make substantial progress in these high tech defense ideas, the road to unification may be able to bypass any military confrontation between the two Koreas.

Chang Se-moon is the director of the Gulf Coast Center for Impact Studies.