South Korea to create new command that would control strategic weapons

SEOUL — South Korea will establish a strategic command by 2024 to oversee the country’s preemptive strike strategy and the assets to execute it, the Defense Ministry said during a meeting with the newly elected president .

During a July 6 seminar led by President Yoon Suk Yeol, the ministry discussed key defense policies meant to counter the threat of North Korean nuclear missiles, including the Kill Chain strategy and well as more efficient efforts to develop defense capabilities.

The ministry said the strategic command, which would fall under the purview of the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, is to integrate and efficiently operate all South Korean armed forces’ strategic weapons systems, currently controlled by each military branch individually. The command would also give the orders to subordinate military assets to strike enemy targets or intercept hostile missiles as part of the Kill Chain strategy and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation plan.

Kill Chain is a preemptive strike strategy that the South Korean military would implement against key North Korean military facilities, such as missile silos, when intelligence organizations confirm an imminent attack. KMPR involves the use of ballistic missiles and highly explosive weapons against an offensive nuclear attack. Its purpose is essentially the total destruction of North Korea’s capital Pyongyang.

The units and capabilities that would fall under the forthcoming strategic include:

The Army’s Missile and Strategic Command, which operates Hyunmoo ballistic missiles.

The Air Force’s Missile Defense Command, which operates PAC-3 anti-air missiles , F-35A fighter jets and Global Hawk surveillance aircraft.

The Navy’s 3000-ton submarines that feature sub-launched ballistic missiles.

Military surveillance satellites.

Cyberwarfare- and space-focused forces.

The military is also expected to adjust the duties of the Army’s Missile and Strategic Command and the Air Force’s Missile Defense Command.

“The key assets of Kill Chain and KMPR are individually managed by the Army, Navy and Air Force. I can assure that the STRATCOM [strategic command] would be highly efficient if those divided strategic assets of each military branch are combined as one single unit,” Uk Yang, the associate research fellow of Asan Institute for policy studies, told Defense News.

The former commander of the Air Force’s Air Defense Command, Myung-guk Kwon, agreed. “This means that one commander at a combined command center could execute offensive and defensive operations based on analyses of coherent information. I believe this will be an efficient command system.”

For the chain of command, a three-star general or admiral is expected to take the lead of the planned command, with the military branches taking turns to lead.

The Defense Ministry also said it plans to strengthen intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities; preemptive strike capabilities; and the country’s missile defense architecture .

Daehan Lee was a South Korea correspondent for Defense News. He had previously worked at the U.S. and Belgian embassies in Seoul, for the People Power Party, and for election camps. He also served as a translator for the South Korean Navy. His interests include Asia-Pacific security, defense acquisition, South Korean politics and foreign policy.

首尔——韩国国防部在与新当选总统会晤时表示，韩国将在2024年前建立一个战略司令部，以监督该国的先发制人打击战略及其执行所需的资源。

7月6日，国防部长尹锡烈主持召开研讨会，国防部讨论了旨在应对朝鲜核导弹威胁的关键国防政策，包括“杀伤链”战略，以及更有效地发展国防能力的努力。

韩国国防部表示，该战略司令部将隶属于韩国联合参谋本部，负责整合并高效运作目前由各军种各自控制的韩国武装部队所有战略武器系统。该司令部还将下达命令，指挥下属军事力量打击敌方目标或拦截敌方导弹，作为“杀伤链”战略和“韩国大规模惩罚与报复”计划的一部分。

“杀戮链”是韩国军方在情报机构确认即将遭受攻击时，针对朝鲜关键军事设施（例如导弹发射井）实施的先发制人打击战略。“朝鲜军事打击计划”（KMPR）涉及使用弹道导弹和高爆炸性武器对抗进攻性核攻击。其最终目的是彻底摧毁朝鲜首都平壤。

即将出台的战略涵盖的单位和能力包括：

陆军导弹与战略司令部负责操作玄武弹道导弹。

美国空军导弹防御司令部装备有PAC-3防空导弹、F-35A战斗机和全球鹰侦察机。

海军的3000吨级潜艇，配备潜射弹道导弹。

军用监视卫星。

网络战和太空作战部队。

军方预计还将调整陆军导弹与战略司令部和空军导弹防御司令部的职责。

“杀伤链和KMPR的关键资产分别由陆军、海军和空军管理。我可以保证，如果将各军种分散的战略资产合并为一个单一单位，战略司令部（STRATCOM）的效率将会非常高，”峨山政策研究所副研究员杨宇（Uk Yang）告诉《防务新闻》。

前空军防空司令部司令权明国对此表示赞同。“这意味着联合指挥中心的一名指挥官可以根据对综合信息的分析，同时执行进攻和防御作战。我相信这将是一个高效的指挥系统。”

在指挥链中，计划中的指挥将由一名三星将军或海军上将领导，各军种轮流领导。

国防部还表示，计划加强情报、监视和侦察能力；先发制人的打击能力；以及国家的导弹防御体系。

李大汉曾任《防务新闻》驻韩国记者。此前，他曾在美国和比利时驻首尔大使馆、国民力量党以及多个选举营地工作。他还曾担任韩国海军的翻译。他的研究领域包括亚太安全、国防采购、韩国政治和外交政策。