South Korea extends range of cruise missile

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=135205§ionid=351020405


South Korea has reportedly developed a long-range cruise missile capable of hitting North Korean positions and plans to deploy it along the border with the North.

An unconfirmed report by a defense source said the new the ground-to-ground Hyunmu-3C missile has a range of up to 1,500 kilometers (937 miles), the state-run Yonhap news agency said on Saturday.

Under an agreement with the United States, South Korea can increase the range of its cruise missiles to counter the 1,000 ballistic missiles the North is believed to have deployed at the border — as long as their payload does not exceed 500 kilograms.

Improving upon a previous version with a range of only 1,000 kilometers, the new Hyunmu missile will enable South Korea to target nuclear or military sites in the North.

Ongoing tensions between the two Koreas — technically at war since their 1950-1953 war ended without a peace treaty — have been on the rise since a South Korean warship sank near the tense sea border in March. Forty-six South Korea sailors died in the incident.

South Korea and the United States accused North Korea of torpedoing the vessel, citing the findings of a multinational investigation into the incident.

However, Pyongyang has rejected the charges and says a July 9 statement by the UN Security Council proves its point since it does not identify North Korea as the culprit.

After the UN statement, the North reiterated its conditional willingness to return to the stalled six-party nuclear disarmament talks it withdrew from last year.

After the UN statement, the North announced that it was still conditionally ready to return to the stalled six-party nuclear disarmament talks it withdrew from last year.

But South Korea has demanded an apology for the attack on the ship and says it will not return to the negotiation table until those responsible are punished.