N. Korea likely to deploy new rocket launchers this year: S. Korean defense chief

South Korea’s Defense Minister Han Min-koo said Wednesday that North Korea will likely be able to deploy within this year new multiple rocket launchers capable of striking the U.S. military base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province and the South Korean military headquarters in Gyeryongdae from areas north of the demilitarized zone.

In a join interview with reporters covering the Ministry of National Defense, Han made the remark, noting that Seoul assesses Pyongyang to be in final stages of developing the 300-millimeter launchers, having conducting several test-firings. He stressed that in the event of an attack, the South Korean military plans to detect the North’s long-range artillery targeting Seoul and the surrounding areas and destroy them with the air force and tactical ground-to-ground missiles. He added that the South Korean armed forces are fully capable of the North’s newly developed multiple rocket launchers. “We view that North Korea can conduct (its fifth nuclear test) if the leadership decides,” the minister said. “It is expected to conduct an underground detonation test of a nuclear warhead mounted on a missile or a detonator without nuclear materials.”

Regarding the development of a solid fuel rocket propellant, which Pyongyang disclosed last month, the defense minister said the North is in a combustion testing stage, the middle of the five stages in missile development. “Mounting solid fuel rocket on a ballistic missile would make it easier to carry out military operations,” he said. However, he noted that even with a solid fuel rocket propellant, the North has just about four minutes to avoid the South Korea-U.S. surveillance networks and thus can be destroyed by the Kill Chain missile defense system, which Seoul has been building.

Asked about the possible deployment of an advanced U.S. missile defense system called the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea, Han said the key point is to see the military and security need against the North’s nuclear threats. “If China sees beyond it, the issue would become a matter of our sovereignty,” he said. "Beijing is opposing the THAAD deployment in the South while making no mention of Japan, where two THAAD radars have been deployed.

Regarding a proposed intelligence-sharing agreement between Seoul and Tokyo, Han suggested that it is premature to pursue it “in consideration of various environments and conditions” despite the military necessity. Asked about U.S. Republican presidential runner Donald Trump’s remarks about withdrawing U.S. troops from South Korea and letting Seoul arm itself with nuclear weapons, the defense minister said, “I think that if he becomes president, he would be able to understand and assess (South Korea’s security and the Seoul-Washington alliance) in a different position.”