KIDA "Conducting Operational Plan Research to Prepare for North Korean Nuclear Threat"

Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] It has been confirmed that our military is researching operational plans (OPLAN) to prepare for new nuclear and missile threats.

On the 20th, Park Chan-woo, Vice Chairman of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses (KIDA), mentioned at a media day held at KIDA in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, that last December, the South Korean and U.S. defense ministers agreed to establish a new OPLAN during the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM). He introduced, "Currently, the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, the Operations Command, and KIDA are conducting research to establish the new OPLAN."

He added, "As North Korea's threat shifts from conventional forces to nuclear and missile capabilities, analysis related to this will also be conducted in the development of the new OPLAN."

Vice Chairman Park also referred to President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol's pledge to strengthen the three-axis system, stating, "Research related to forces and unit structures to strengthen the three-axis system is also underway."

Additionally, an analysis was presented that North Korea is highly likely to use tactical nuclear weapons to achieve superiority in forces. The launches of North Korea's versions of Iskander and ATACMS missiles, as well as super-large multiple rocket launchers developed in recent years, are all evaluated as preparations for using tactical nuclear weapons.

At the event, Lee Sang-min, a researcher at KIDA's Security Strategy Research Center specializing in North Korean military affairs, commented on North Korea's report on the successful launch of a new tactical guided weapon on the 17th, saying, "This time, unusually, North Korea mentioned that the new tactical guided weapon could be equipped with tactical nuclear warheads, which clearly shows that the short-range ballistic missiles and super-large multiple rocket launchers developed or deployed so far can also be used as tactical nuclear weapons."

He analyzed, "It is believed that strategic nuclear weapons such as Hwasong-15 and Hwasong-17, capable of attacking the U.S. mainland, have not yet been completed," but added, "Nevertheless, it can be assessed that tactical nuclear weapons, which can be directly used in a Korean Peninsula theater-level war, are being developed simultaneously with strategic nuclear weapons."

The event also drew attention by mentioning operational plans (OPLAN) to prepare for new nuclear and missile threats.

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