Shin Won-sik: "Missile Warning Information System Operational Starting This Month"

Presiding Over the Second Half Year All-Forces Senior Commanders Meeting

The real-time sharing system for North Korean missile warning information among South Korea, the United States, and Japan will be operational starting this month. The defense ministers of the three countries agreed on the sharing system at a meeting held last month.

On the morning of the 13th, Shin Won-sik, Minister of National Defense, held the 2023 Second Half Year All-Army Senior Commanders Meeting at the Ministry of National Defense building, attended by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chiefs of Staff of each military branch, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, and other key officials from the Ministry of National Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, each military branch, and related agencies, while saluting the national flag.

On the 13th, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik presided over the "2023 Second Half All-Army Key Commanders Meeting" and stated, "This year, through the 'Washington Declaration' by the South Korea-U.S. leaders, the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) was launched, and the Tailored Deterrence Strategy (TDS) was revised for the first time in 10 years." He added, "Next year, we plan to conduct combined exercises between South Korea and the U.S. assuming a North Korean nuclear attack and to deploy U.S. strategic assets at a near-permanent level, thereby strengthening extended deterrence execution capability."

He especially noted, "We will strengthen South Korea-U.S.-Japan security cooperation and plan to fully operate the real-time sharing system for North Korean missile warning information within this month," adding, "Next year, we will expand trilateral exercises across multiple domains including surface, underwater, and air."

The real-time missile warning information sharing system to be operated by South Korea, the U.S., and Japan connects the Hawaii Integrated Control Center under the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command with the command and control systems (C4I) of U.S. forces stationed in South Korea and Japan. This system enables real-time sharing of North Korean missile flight trajectories and expected impact points detected by the surveillance forces of the South Korean military, Japan Self-Defense Forces, and U.S. military. Through this, the 'blind spots' and errors from missile launch to final impact during North Korean missile provocations can be minimized, allowing for more accurate detection and tracking.

Starting next year, the trilateral training plans will be conducted more systematically and efficiently. Following this year's first-ever South Korea-U.S.-Japan combined air exercise near the Korean Peninsula involving B-52 strategic bombers, next year is expected to see more diverse and intensive trilateral combined naval and air exercises. A Strategic Command, a dedicated unit to establish an integrated operational system optimized for the Korean Peninsula involving South Korean nuclear and conventional forces, will also be established.

Minister Shin emphasized the establishment of soldiers' sense of national identity, adversary awareness, and military spirit during the meeting. He said, "Ukraine, fighting against Russia, and Israel, responding to a sudden attack and punishing Hamas, derive their strength from mental power," adding, "We plan to establish a commander-centered mental power education system."

Additionally, a phased transition to an AI-based manned-unmanned combined combat system will be pursued, with 14 promotion tasks underway and the establishment of a Defense AI Center planned.

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