Ex-General Proposes SK Missile Range of 700km

The country’s missile range should be expanded from 300 kilometers to 700 kilometers, a former ranking military officer said yesterday.

Ret. Maj. Gen. Kim Kuk-heon, who participated in bilateral missile negotiations with Washington from 1999 through 2001, told The Dong-A Ilbo over the phone, “In the changed security environment caused by North Korea’s nuclear test and missile threats, the guidelines limiting missile range should be reviewed.”

Under a 1979 treaty with the U.S., South Korea is limited to a missile range of 300 kilometers.

Controversy erupted after a ranking official in U.S. forces stationed in South Korea mentioned the possibility of a revision to the missile guideline to aides of lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties in Seoul.

Kim said a missile range of at least 700 kilometers should be guaranteed to ensure attack capability against North Korea if the North starts a war.

ysh1005@donga.com