Panetta cites `good progress` in missile range extension talks

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Thursday in Washington that "good progress" was made in negotiations between South Korea and the U.S. over the proposed extension of Seoul’s ballistic missile range.

He told a news conference after a bilateral meeting between foreign and defense ministers that he hoped both sides could reach a solution agreeable to the two countries.

Attending the meeting were South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan and Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Minister Panetta.

Panetta’s comments attracted attention to whether Washington will accept Seoul`s demand that its ballistic missile range be extended from 300 kilometers to 800 to 1,000 kilometers.

Kim Kwan-jin showed caution, however, saying the missile range extension was being discussed at the working level and not at Thursday’s meeting.

In a joint statement, the two allies said they agreed to seek the strengthening of “a comprehensive combined defense posture” to cope with the threat of North Korea’s long-range ballistic missiles.

On if the statement meant South Korea will be included in the U.S. missile defense system, Kim said South Korean missiles are different from those of the U.S. because they are used for “low-tier defense” due to South Korea’s topography.

On this matter, a diplomatic source said South Korea will develop its own missile defense system with U.S. assistance rather than going under the U.S.-led missile defense system. The source suggested that under the South Korean system, Seoul will respond with interceptor missiles if Pyongyang launches a missile.

South Korea and the U.S. also agreed to establish a cyber security consultation body to respond to North Korea’s cyber threats, including hacking attacks and disruption of global positioning systems.

mickey@donga.com