North Korea's Countermeasures for Biological and Chemical Weapons Severely Lacking [Yang Nakgyu's Defence Club]

As North Korea fires ballistic missiles equipped with cluster warheads, there are growing assessments that the regime has completed preparations for chemical and biological weapons as well. In contrast, there are criticisms that the South Korean military's chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) defense equipment is severely lacking, highlighting the need to prepare for weapons of mass destruction.

Yonhap News Agency

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On April 9, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that North Korea conducted a test in which a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM), the Hwasong-11Ga (KN-23), was launched with a cluster warhead attached. The report added, "It has been confirmed that the ground-to-ground tactical ballistic missile 'Hwasongpo-11Ga' type, when fitted with a scatter warhead, is capable of devastating a target area of 6.5 to 7 hectares with ultra-high density."

The 'scatter warhead' mentioned by North Korea means that the warhead is equipped with a cluster munition (cluster bomb). The intent is to demonstrate that the KN-23 series short-range ballistic missile, also known as the 'North Korean Iskander,' can be fitted with a cluster warhead to devastate target areas. A cluster bomb contains multiple smaller bombs inside; when the main bomb detonates in the air, dozens to hundreds of submunitions are dispersed, striking multiple targets simultaneously.

Because cluster bombs target wide areas rather than precision strikes, they can easily cause collateral damage to civilians. Once the submunitions are dispersed in the atmosphere, they can no longer be intercepted, making defense extremely difficult. Due to their indiscriminate nature, more than 100 countries agreed to ban the use of cluster munitions at an international conference in Dublin in 2008. However, both North and South Korea have not joined the treaty, citing the unique situation of the division on the Korean Peninsula.

April 2013, a chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) defense demonstration training by soldiers belonging to the 23rd Chemical Battalion of the Uijeongbu U.S. military base. Photo by AP/ Yonhap News

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The key issue is that chemical and biological weapons can also be mounted on cluster munitions. When gas bombs are used, large amounts of toxic gas can be dispersed over an area, and if the wind blows, the gas can spread even further, making it virtually impossible to avoid. For this reason, chemical and biological weapons are often produced in cluster munition form. Incendiary bombs and white phosphorus rounds are also made as cluster munitions, and the so-called "dirty bomb," or radiological dispersal device (RDD), is also manufactured in cluster munition form.

North Korea is already preparing chemical and biological weapons in addition to cluster munitions. According to South Korea-U.S. military authorities, North Korea possesses 13 types of biological weapons and 25 types of chemical weapons (9 nerve agents, 6 blister agents, 3 blood agents, 2 choking agents, and 8 vomiting agents). North Korea is known to produce biological weapons at Baekmari Biological Research Center, Sunchon Microbiology Research Institute, Jongju Plant No. 25 Pharmaceutical Factory, and Sunchon Pharmaceutical Factory. It reportedly stores between 2,500 and 5,000 tons of chemical weapons.

Compared to North Korea's chemical and biological weapons, the South Korean military's equipment is seriously insufficient. In 2019, the South Korean military initiated the CBRN Protective Suit-II project. At the time, the domestic defense company Samyang Chemical was to develop the equipment, but the project was entirely halted due to the company's lack of technical capability. The CBRN Protective Suit-I, previously supplied, was also judged substandard. The companies that supplied the Protective Suit-I were SG Saenghwal Anjeon and Samyang Chemical. The number of defective CBRN protective suits at the time reached as many as 415,000 units. As a result, the military's CBRN protective suit supply rate fell to 39% in 2022.

The military has announced its intention to restart the CBRN Protective Suit-II project. If this project proceeds as planned, it is expected that 256,000 suits could be secured at an early stage. Industry experts have suggested that, as the needs of the Army Education Command and new units have increased, options such as overseas contract manufacturing should be considered.

A military official stated, "To meet the target quantity for CBRN protective suits, a budget of 11.2 billion won is needed immediately," adding, "If domestic CBRN protective suit technology remains insufficient, various measures must be taken to counter North Korea's biological weapons."

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