S. Korea to step up missile defence after North's nuke test
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South Korean army soldiers patrol along the barbed-wire fence near the border village of Panmunjom, which has separated the two Koreas since the Korean War, in Paju, north of Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, Feb 13, 2013. -- PHOTO: AP
SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea said on Wednesday it would accelerate the development of longer-range ballistic missiles that could cover the whole of North Korea in response to a third nuclear test by Pyongyang.
"We will speed up the development of ballistic missiles with a range of 800 kilometres," Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters.
In October last year, South Korea reached a deal with the United States to almost triple the range of its missile systems - with Seoul arguing it needed an upgrade to counter the North's missile and nuclear programmes.
The US has 28,500 troops in South Korea and guarantees a nuclear "umbrella" in case of any atomic attack. In return, Seoul accepts limits on its missile capabilities.
