S. Korea to reinforce Air Force's anti-missile unit amid growing N. Korean threats

South Korea's military will reinforce the Air Force's missile defense unit by deploying additional equipment, including advanced radars, and broadening its missions, the defense ministry said Thursday, in response to evolving threats from North Korea highlighted by its various types of missile tests of late.

The ministry issued a public notice on its push for legislation to restructure the existing Air Defense Missile Command as part of efforts to enhance the military's anti-missile capabilities.

Under the envisioned reorganization set for April, the command will be supplied with additional ballistic-missile early-warning radars and mid-range surface-to-air missiles (M-SAM).

The M-SAM system, called "Cheongung II," is a core element of South Korea's multilayered anti-missile program. Cheongung means heaven's bow in Korean.

The military also plans to alter the official name of the command in order to emphasize its anti-missile missions. It has yet to announce a new English name.

"(The command) will monitor strategic and operational threats in the air, counter complex, wide-area, multi-layer missiles, and carry out regional air defense missions," the ministry said.

Observers note that the country is preparing to deploy a homegrown long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM). The command will be tasked as well with helping the military to better respond to threats emanating from space.

The military, meanwhile, plans to launch the Army Missile Strategic Command in April, with the Army Missile Command renamed and its headquarters and subordinate units expanded.

North Korea staged seven rounds of missile launches last month alone, including those of a hypersonic missile and an intermediate-range ballistic missile, setting alarm bells ringing over the South's readiness to counter the threats. (Yonhap)