U.S. Seeks Greater South Korean Participation in Antimissile Efforts

The United States would like to see ally South Korea play a greater role in evolving antimissile initiatives, the Yonhap News Agency quoted a high-level U.S. State Department official as saying on Monday.

The U.S. Defense Department is interested in deploying additional U.S. antimissile assets around the region and exporting defensive systems to Asia-Pacific partner nations including South Korea for the stated purpose of countering the growing ballistic missile threat posed by North Korea.

"Creating this new strategic environment depends on strong cooperation with our allies and partners," Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Frank Rose said during a visit to Berlin. "In order to make this vision a reality, President Obama has made international cooperation on missile defense a key priority."

"Developing robust regional deterrence architectures is not the job of the United States alone," the official said. "It requires close and continuing cooperation with all of our allies and partners in order to succeed."

Washington is "continuing to discuss [ballistic missile defense] bilaterally with the Republic of Korea," Rose said.

Separately, the South beginning in 2013 intends to manufacture domestically designed medium range missiles in accordance with efforts to enhance defenses against enemy airborne threats, Yonhap reported.

The surface-to-air Cheongung missile can destroy threats from as far away as 25 miles and from heights of about 9.3 miles. The interceptor can also engage multiple targets at once.

"(The military) will begin fielding the missiles starting in 2015 and complete it by 2018 or 2019," an anonymous high-ranking South Korean military source said.