`Seoul close to deal on extending ballistic missile range`

South Korea and the U.S. are reportedly close to agreement on extending the range of the former’s ballistic missiles to 800 kilometers and are making a last-minute coordination to finalize the deal.

Recent speculation said that following the resignation of Kim Tae-hyo, South Korean presidential secretary for future strategy and planning, over the fiasco involving the secret accord with Japan on intelligence protection, Seoul-Washington talks on extending the range of South Korea’s ballistic missiles would lose momentum and go up in smoke.

Both sides narrowed their differences and reached a compromise, however, and if they finalize the deal, South Korean ballistic missiles will be able to reach most of North Korean territory. Under the current guideline, the maximum range of South Korea’s ballistic missiles is 300 kilometers.

A ranking military source in Seoul said Monday, “South Korea strongly demanded that the minimum range of its missiles be 800 kilometers to cope with the mounting threat of North Korea’s ballistic missiles and to strike nuclear weapons and missile bases in all of North Korea in talks on the extension of missile range with the U.S.,” adding, "The U.S. government fully understands South Korea’s demand and agrees that the demand is not excessive.”

Another source said, “Discussions were held on extending the range of South Korean ballistic missiles to 550 kilometers so as not to incite neighboring countries including China, but the South Korean side made it clear that this range would be inadequate to deter the North Korean threat.”

A ranking South Korean military official said, “Even if presidential secretary Kim Tae-hyo quit, the government will reach a compromise to the extent of satisfying its demand made by the incumbent administration.”

In the second South Korea-U.S. foreign and defense ministerial talks in Washington last month, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told reporters, “I think significant progress has been made in consultations and negotiations (over the proposed extension of missile range)."

ysh1005@donga.com