AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, SEOUL: South Korea should take seriously the threat posed by North Korean missiles and start discussing a missile defense system with the US, the commander of US troops in the South said.
General B.B. Bell said six of the missiles test-fired by North Korea on July 5 were Scud or Rodong missiles which have South Korea well within range.
'By all accounts, all six of these missiles worked…they appeared to be accurate, validating the readiness of the North's significant theater missile ballistic capability,' Bell told a forum.
'In this regard and given the threat's demonstrated capability, I think it is reasonable and prudent for the US and the ROK (South Korea) to enter into discussions regarding appropriate commitments and enhancements that each nation should pursue regarding ballistic missile defense here on the peninsula.'
Unlike Japan, South Korea has refused to join a US-led missile defense system — mainly because it does not want to irritate North Korea and China who oppose the scheme.
But Bell called on Seoul to take seriously Pyongyang's capability 'to launch a salvo of six Scuds and Rodong missiles' in a single day and its stockpile of such missiles..
'Unclassified estimates are that the North has over 800 of these type missiles in their inventory. They are designed to be fired from North Korea at targets here in the South,' Bell said.
Japan and the United States signed an agreement in late June to allow them to jointly develop an advanced capability missile interception system.
