N Korea reportedly has medium-range missile division

Tuesday 09th March, 02:14 PM JST

SEOUL —

North Korea has recently created an army division in charge of newly developed intermediate-range missiles capable of striking U.S. forces in Japan and Guam, a South Korean news agency said Tuesday.

The report came as North Korea stepped up its war rhetoric against the U.S. and South Korea after the allies started their annual drills aimed at improving their defense capabilities.

The North’s People’s Army recently launched a division supervising operational deployment of missiles with a range of more than 1,860 miles (3,000 kilometers) that it had developed in recent years, Yonhap news agency reported citing an unidentified South Korean government source.

The missiles could pose a threat to U.S. forces in Japan, Guam and other Pacific areas that are to be redeployed in time of emergency on the Korean peninsula, Yonhap said.

The report, however, didn’t provide further details such as how many missiles the new division possesses and where they are positioned.

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said Tuesday it couldn’t confirm the Yonhap report. However, a ministry document published last year showed that the North deployed a new type of medium-range missile believed to the same as one it displayed during a military parade in 2007.

If confirmed, the division’s launch could suggest that the North has succeeded in developing more medium-range missiles since 2007 and it needed a bigger unit to manage them, said Ohm Tae-am of the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in Seoul.

The division’s creation would also mean the North has a unit whose primary role is to prevent the U.S. from redeploying its troops in the Pacific to the Korean peninsula in the event of a conflict, said Baek Seung-joo of the same institute.

North Korea’s missile program and nuclear weapons development program are major regional security concerns.

The North conducted a long-range rocket test in April in violation of a U.N. Security Council resolution that prohibits the country from engaging in any ballistic missile-related activities. A defiant Pyongyang subsequently quit nuclear disarmament talks and performed a second nuclear test.

The United Nations responded in July by imposing punishing new sanctions that toughened an arms embargo on the country and authorized ship searches on the high seas.

On Tuesday, the North continued its salvo against the U.S. and South Korea over their military drills, which the regime has long slammed as a rehearsal for invasion.

“This cannot be interpreted otherwise than a grave provocation,” the North’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. It said the North will continue to bolster its nuclear capability as long as the U.S. military threats persist.

The ministry, however, said the North is ready for both dialogue and war, a position that contrasts from a military statement Sunday that the North would break off dialogue with the U.S. in response to the drills.

About 18,000 American soldiers and an undisclosed number of South Korean troops are taking part in 11 days of drills that began Monday across South Korea.

The U.S., which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, has said the drills are purely defensive.

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Latest 15 of 23 Total Comments Show All

smithinjapan at 10:41 PM JST - 9th March

Sorry... "they would TAKE much of SKorea and Japan with them"... not 'talk'.
UnagiDon at 10:47 PM JST - 9th March

smithinjapn;

First and foremost NKorea poses a threat to Japan

Wrong, and you need to stop fixating on Japan. First and foremost North Korea poses a threat to South Korea. If you can't grasp that simple point, why bother posting here?
OssanAmerica at 11:04 PM JST - 9th March

smithinjapan at 05:29 PM JST - 9th March First and foremost NKorea poses a threat to Japan

First and foremost NKorea poses a threat to South Korea. Secondly to all US forces in SKorea and Japan. Thirdly to Japan.

smithinjapan at 10:40 PM JST - 9th March The US could easily strike back from within and around South Korea. >Might take a bit for them to get in from Guam to help Japan, but hey >(darn it!). :)

If NKorea ever used even one nuke against any US ally , US Subs, the locations of which are not disclosed, would retaliate in kind in a matter of hours to the extent that NKorea would not only be unable to act offensively but it's defenses would be left wide open. Which is why China will never allow NKorea to actually start any kind of a real conflict.
smithinjapan at 12:39 AM JST - 10th March

Unagi: Relax, bud. I know full well that South Korea would bear the brunt of any assault by North Korea, but they don't need nukes for that; they have so much artillery they could fire easily into Seoul there is no need for a detectable nuclear launch unless the want to hit further south.

Ossan: You need to relax a little as well. I know we don't get along much on most threads, but I'm not disagreeing with you here, believe it or not. What I WAS doing was twisting MrUSA's pony-tails a little and showing that the US presence here is as valuable if not moreso to their nation as it is to the US, and that the current cabinet trying to throw that away is nothing but detrimental, or nothing but hypocritical if they allow the subs you are talking about.

That said, both of you, if they have more than enough rockets, and said artillery plus their MILLION man army, where are they going to fire the missiles, do you think? Of course some would be directed to the southern parts of South Korea plus any US installations, but on top of that? CORRECT! JAPAN! You guys both know that, and MrUSA knows it, so why is that a separate topic?

Are you going to call it Japan bashing to point that out next? :)
TheQuestion at 12:40 AM JST - 10th March

But they would take much of SKorea and Japan (if possible) with them.

I've come to a similar conclusion. If NK were to try anything they would probably bum rush the DMZ and eventually overwhelm the forces stationed on the SK side of the boarder. The aftermath of such a venture would be anybodys guess. The staggering loss of life, however, would be sure bet.

I don't even think lil-Kim would try the nuclear option, not because he isn't crazy enough to use them but because his little dud rockets are more likely to blow up on the launch pad than do any substantial damage to the intended target.
mareo2 at 12:47 AM JST - 10th March

They hardly can feed temselves and keep wasting resource preparing for an US invasion that never happen. In place of fear, I feel pity for them.
OssanAmerica at 01:28 AM JST - 10th March

That said, both of you, if they have more than enough rockets, and said >artillery plus their MILLION man army, where are they going to fire the >missiles, do you think?

Nowhere. Is there was the slightest inkling of that happening, China would not permit it. If NKorea did so without Chinese approval NKOrea would become the latest Chinese province within a week.
UnagiDon at 02:23 AM JST - 10th March

smithinjapan;

I did get a kick out of your post telling others to "relax" and then following up with lots of words in capital letters and exclamation marks.

the US presence here is as valuable if not moreso to their nation as it is to the US, and that the current cabinet trying to throw that away

How exactly is the current cabinet trying the throw the US military presence away, as opposed to a realignment? I think you're operating from a false premise there. The J government is not trying to kick out the US military presence, full stop.
ca1ic0cat at 02:39 AM JST - 10th March

The dear little pipsqueak probably wouldn't start with nukes because the retaliation would be devestation of NK. I would guess that he might launch a conventional offensive and then threaten to use nukes when the US moved to intervene. But that's the problem with nukes. If you use them you are going to get the same in return. They aren't good offensive weapons no matter how offensive the pipsqueak's regime is.

If NKorea did so without Chinese approval NKOrea would become the latest Chinese province within a week.

I would applaud the Chinese if they were to toss lil Kimmie to the curb sooner rather than later. How about next week?
YuriOtani at 03:06 AM JST - 10th March

Do not see how this changes a thing. The North does not have the capability to launch a war of aggression and win. Its million man Army and 4 thousand tanks are only so many targets. The Americans went through a larger Iraqi Army without any problems armed with similar weapons. The Army of the North is overrated and this missile threat is as well. They just do not have the ability to take on a modern military and win.
grafton at 05:11 AM JST - 10th March

“Yonhap news agency reported citing an unidentified South Korean government source.”

“said Ohm Tae-am of the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses in Seoul.”

“said Baek Seung-joo of the same institute.”

I think I will wait until a reliable agency tells me what is happening before I take this story seriously.
stevecpfc at 05:29 AM JST - 10th March

YuriOtani, North Korean military may be out dated, but they are larger, more committed and have better defences, ie; underground bunkers and a huge amount of artilary hidden in mountain areas.
Gurukun at 07:23 AM JST - 10th March

I don't know, just playing with my imaginataion out loud here. If NK were to attack another country, thier location would make them a sitting target for thier large army. They wouldn't be able to move thier Army into China or SK in time to escape the wrath that would come for them. If they try to run by sea?.....LOL! That's even more hilarious!
OssanAmerica at 07:27 AM JST - 10th March

stevecpfc at 05:29 AM JST - 10th March YuriOtani, North Korean military may be out dated, but they are larger, >more committed and have better defences, ie; underground bunkers and a >huge amount of artilary hidden in mountain areas.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/06/pentagon-orders-massive-bunker-busters-for-underground-wmd/

The NKPLA are larger in number, more malnourished, shorter in stature, more poorly equipped, and are more comitted to die for their Dear Leader which they are welcome to do.
stevecpfc at 07:31 AM JST - 10th March

OssaanAmerica, i am fully aware of the state of N Korea and the military. However the fact remains, they are a much more dangerous and fanatical regime and military than Iraq has ever been.