By Jun Ji-hye
South Korea is seeking to double the maximum weight of a warhead to be mounted on its 800-kilometer range ballistic missile to 1 ton from the current 500 kilograms because of growing threats from North Korea, sources said Tuesday.
The payload increase will bolster Seoul’s capability of striking Pyongyang’s underground bunker facilities in which the North Korean leadership including its leader Kim Jong-un would hide out in the event of war.
To increase the warhead’s weight, the government needs to amend a 2012 revision of missile guidelines agreed upon with the United States.
The 2012 revision allowed Seoul to extend the maximum range of its ballistic missile to 800 kilometers from 300 kilometers. But the payload was not allowed to exceed 500 kilograms when mounted on this missile.
President Moon Jae-in raised the need to revise the New Missile Guidelines during his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington late last month, and Trump gave a positive response, according to the sources.
“The government will discuss the issue with the United States in the upcoming Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) and the Korea-U.S. Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) scheduled for later this year,” one source said.
Cheong Wa Dae and the Ministry of National Defense refused to comment on the issue.
Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said, “It is not proper for me to mention things discussed by the heads of state of the two countries. But I can say the military is reviewing various measures to effectively respond to North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.”
A Cheong Wa Dae official also said, “We cannot confirm anything.”
Since the 2012 revision of the missile guidelines, South Korea has been developing the missile with a range of 800 kilometers, which puts the whole of North Korea within striking distance. The military plans to complete the development and deploy the missile by the end of the year.
President Moon observed the test-firing of the missile at a test site of the Agency for Defense Development in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, June 23. At the time, presidential spokesman Park Soo-hyun said the new missile will be operationally deployed after two more test-firings.
Once its payload is doubled from 500 kilograms to 1 ton, the missile could destroy bunkers up to 10 meters underground, according to military experts. They estimate the North has built more than 7,000 bunkers including those for nuclear and missile facilities.
Military officials said the payload increase will strengthen Seoul’s overall deterrence capabilities.
“If a payload of 1 ton can be loaded on an 800-kilometer range missile, our military will be able to conduct the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) plan more effectively as the missile’s penetration capability will be seriously improved,” a military official said on condition of anonymity.
The KMPR is a concept designed to retaliate against and punish the reclusive state if it strikes the South.
The U.S. government is expected to show a positive attitude towards the payload increase during the upcoming consultations as the two governments share the same goal of preventing the North’s nuclear and missile programs from advancing further.
Pyongyang has continued to test-fire various types of missiles apparently to show off its capability to Seoul and Washington.
In its latest test, July 4, the North launched the Hwasong-14, which it claims is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking targets on the U.S. mainland.
On Monday, CNN quoted an unidentified official from the Pentagon as saying signs had been detected that the North was preparing to test another ICBM or an intermediate-range ballistic missile within this week.