Defense chief calls for capabilities to ‘swiftly eliminate’ N.K. leadership in event of war

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik called on special operations troops Wednesday to equip themselves with capabilities to “swiftly eliminate” the North Korean leadership if it starts a war against the South.

Shin made the call at the Army Special Warfare Command in Icheon, 56 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as South Korea has been conducting the Freedom Shield joint military exercise with the United States since last week to boost deterrence against the North’s threats.

“If Kim Jong-un starts a war, as a key unit of Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR), you must become the world’s strongest special operations unit to swiftly eliminate the enemy leadership,” Shin said, according to his office.

KMPR refers to an operational plan to incapacitate the North’s leadership in a major conflict.

It is a pillar of the military’s “three-axis” deterrence system against North Korea, which also includes the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike platform and the Korea Air and Missile Defense system.

South Korean and U.S. special operations troops have been staging combined strike drills to hone combat capabilities since last Friday in connection with Freedom Shield, according to the ministry.

The special operations exercise is aimed at strengthening operational capabilities in infiltrating key enemy command facilities and paralyzing their operations.

Shin also visited Command Post TANGO (Theater Air Naval Ground Operations), a key wartime command bunker in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, and highlighted training during Freedom Shield to neutralize the North’s nuclear and missile threats.

“Through this exercise, (we) must master operational systems that neutralize the North’s nuclear and missile network early on,” Shin was quoted as saying. “(We) must also strengthen operational capabilities to the next level to overwhelm the enemy in all domains.”

The bunker complex serves as the primary command and control center of South Korean and U.S. forces in the event of an armed conflict. It is known to be strong enough to survive a tactical nuclear attack.