South Korea should capitalize on its evolving robotics technology to cope with future combat operations, a local researcher said Wednesday, noting that ground-based military robots would put the country at an advantage in a potential conflict with poorly-equipped North Korean forces.
Kim Do-jong, a researcher at the state-run Agency for Defense Development, said in his latest research paper that the South can utilize robots as part of its "reverse asymmetric weapons systems" to counter the North's military threats.
Reverse asymmetric weapons refer to military equipment that the communist state cannot develop due to its technological limitations.
Kim's report on the development of military robots will be officially presented at an academic conference on military science and technology, which will be held on Thursday and Friday on the southern resort island of Jeju.
"Taking into account North Korea's trends of developing (robots), (South Korea) can take advantage of robots as crucial reverse asymmetric military forces in the future," Kim wrote in the report.
He pointed out that frontline units have already operationally tested small robots in a set of missions including detecting and disposing of explosive devices and conducting surveillance activities.
Kim added that robots tasked with transporting heavy military equipment in mountainous areas and rescuing wounded troops are currently under development.
Under the "Creative Defense" vision, Seoul's Defense Ministry has been pushing to incorporate into military operations innovative technologies such as big data solutions and the Internet of Things.
Robotics technology has also been at the center of the defense initiative. (Yonhap)
