[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] 2017 Kim Jong-un Targeted Strike Training... Why?

In 2017, our military also conducted ballistic missile strike drills targeting North Korea's command, sending a warning message. The Hyunmoo-2A used in the training is a ballistic missile with a range of 300 km developed using domestic technology.

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] When North Korea launched its first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)-class Hwasong-14 in 2017, it is reported that the United States calculated the distance to the location of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and fired a counterstrike into the East Sea at that distance. This indicates how threatening North Korea's missile was at the time and how tensions on the Korean Peninsula had reached a peak.

According to part of the new book "Rage" by Bob Woodward, the Watergate investigative journalist, when North Korea launched the Hwasong-14 on July 4, 2017, Korea time, then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis approved, and then-Commander of United States Forces Korea Vincent Brooks ordered the launch of the US 8th Army's ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) surface-to-surface missile.

At that time, the South Korean military also conducted ballistic missile strike drills targeting North Korea's command structure as a warning message. The Hyunmoo-2A missile used in the drill is a domestically developed ballistic missile with a range of 300 km. The ATACMS, operated by the US Forces Korea, carries numerous submunitions in its warhead, capable of devastating an area equivalent to four soccer fields with a single missile. Its range is approximately 300 km. The South Korean and US military authorities demonstrated their deterrence resolve against North Korea's provocations by conducting ballistic missile firing drills capable of precision strikes on North Korean nuclear and missile facilities just one day after the launch of the so-called ICBM-class Hwasong-14.

As the US-South Korea counterstrikes continued, tensions on the Korean Peninsula heightened. Former USFK Commander Brooks said in an interview with Japan's Asahi Shimbun that as tensions escalated from 2017 into early 2018, 34,000 US troops gathered in South Korea for joint US-ROK exercises, and 620,000 South Korean troops immediately prepared for combat accordingly. Brooks recalled that at that time, all military action options were reviewed, and both preemptive and unilateral strikes were considered regardless of whether they were necessary.

The card considered during the 2017 "fire and fury" phase was the "Bloody Nose" strategy. The Bloody Nose strategy is divided into preemptive strike and preventive strike. To carry out a preemptive strike, agreement between South Korea and the US is a prerequisite. If clear signs of North Korean war provocations appear, South Korea and the US hold emergency Security Consultative Meetings (SCM) and Military Committee Meetings (MCM) to assess the situation. Subsequently, the South Korean government recommends to the president through the National Security Council (NSC) and obtains approval for the preemptive strike. If the preemptive strike is conducted as an act of self-defense, the National Assembly is notified but approval is obtained after the strike.

After completing this response drill, the US Forces Korea officially assessed in November of that year that North Korea's ICBM-class Hwasong-15 had the capability to strike the entire US mainland. According to the "USFK 2019 Strategic Digest" published by the US Forces Korea Command, North Korea currently possesses three types of ICBM-class missiles: Hwasong-13, Hwasong-14, and Hwasong-15. Their ranges are estimated at "over 3,418 miles (5,500 km)," "6,250 miles (10,058 km)," and "8,000 miles (12,087 km)" respectively. The US Forces Korea particularly evaluated the Hwasong-14 and Hwasong-15 as capable of reaching "most areas of the US mainland" and "the entire US mainland," respectively.

North Korea has steadily improved the performance of the Hwasong-15. North Korea announced a "significant test" at the Dongchang-ri missile launch site on the West Sea, raising the possibility that it conducted a solid-fuel engine test. Solid-fuel ICBM-class missiles can be mounted on transporter erector launchers (TELs) and moved covertly, enabling preemptive strikes, thus representing a considerable level of threat.

The transition to solid fuel for ICBMs has been a consistent focus in North Korea. North Korea has already applied solid-fuel engines to its Pukguksong-1, -2, and -3 submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). It has also demonstrated mobility and surprise strike capability by applying solid fuel to missiles such as the KN-23 (North Korean version of the Iskander) and the super-large multiple rocket launcher.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.