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JCS chief-N Korea
JCS chief says threat by N. Korea different from Hamas
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Oct. 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea faces a different type of security threat from North Korea when compared with the Hamas militant group, and will beef up its warfare capability to deter any provocations, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Thursday.
Gen. Kim Seung-kyum made the assessment during a parliamentary audit amid renewed security concerns in South Korea over Seoul's capabilities to counter a potential attack from North Korea.
"Our military confronts an adversary equipped with different military capability from Hamas. (The South Korean military) is maintaining firm warfare capabilities that can retaliate against any provocations by the adversary and aggression immediately, strongly and until the end," Kim said.
Hamas unleashed a barrage of some 5,000 rockets on Israel last Saturday, with some of them bypassing Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system, despite its known interception rate of 90 percent.
The attack has brought renewed attention to South Korea's military capabilities for countering the threats posed by North Korea's artillery positioned near the border, which is known to be more powerful than Hamas' rockets.
Kim said South Korea has been putting resources to achieve "peace through strength" amid Pyongyang's advancing missile and nuclear threat and uncertainties surrounding the regional security.
"Through close coordination with the United States, the South Korean military has been increasing the extended deterrence capabilities of the South Korean-U.S. alliance and the three-axis system to enhance our ability to deter and respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats," Kim said.
In a policy report, the JCS said it will beef up the operational capability of the country's "three-axis" defense system against North Korea.
The system includes the Korea Air and Missile Defense system, which involves the long-range surface-to-air missile system and an improved version of the mid-range surface-to-air missile system, as well as an operational plan to incapacitate the North Korean leadership in a major conflict and the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike platform.
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