To avoid creating a hair-trigger environment in northeast Asia, we pressured South Korea to limit their ballistic missile range. Seoul has the capability of making long-range missiles, but they did not make them. That has changed:
South Korea has reached a landmark agreement with the United States to extend the range of Seoul's ballistic missiles by more than twice the current limit to counter the threat from North Korea, the government said on Sunday.If I recall correctly, the magic payload number for being able to put a nuclear warhead is closer to twice their allowed limit (since most missile tests I read about have warheads designed for the higher amount or close to it). Although the 1,100-pound limit is the legal limit for arms control purposes, I suppose that might not be a hard rule these days.
The move to significantly boost the South's missile capabilities along with development of advanced aerial reconnaissance vehicles is likely to rattle the communist North, which has remained at odds since the 1950-53 Korean War left the peninsula divided.
It may also stoke concern in China, Japan and Russia, parts of which would be within range of the new missiles.
Under the agreement, South Korea can develop missiles up to a range of 800 kms (497 mile) from the current ceiling of 300 kms (186 mile), Chun Young-woo, top secretary to President Lee Myung-bak for foreign and security affairs, told reporters.
He said the United States and South Korea also agreed to maintain the maximum payload for a South Korean-developed ballistic missile at the current level of 500 kilograms (1,102 lbs).
So while China and Russia may not like the longer-range missiles, for now they aren't a potential nuclear threat (assuming South Korea develops nuclear weapons, of course). I have little sympathy for their concerns since they have spent decades supporting their little friend in making threats to destroy South Korea.
Call this both a signal to North Korea that South Korea will respond with weapons capable of inflicting real harm (against military targets, precision conventional weapons can destroy targets that once needed nuclear weapons to destroy); and a signal to the Chinese and Russians that if they don't help stop North Korea from developing nuclear weapons that South Korea will follow the example of their northern brethren--and be closer to having the missiles to use them.
South Korea has the scientific and industrial capabilities to have long-range nuclear weapons capable of reaching the entire region. We have kept South Korea from pursuing such weapons. If China and North Korea don't rein in their little pet psycho regime, we won't stand in South Korea's way.
Yeah, it was all fun and games when it was just North Korea threatening South Korea, Japan, and America by developing missiles to reach us with nuclear weapons. Good times. Good times.
But now that Chinese and Russian territory could be targeted, it isn't quite as humorous. What's the saying? Oh yeah, “Tragedy is when I get a hangnail. Comedy is when someone else falls into an open sewer and dies."
If North and South Korea go nuclear, Japan and Taiwan won't be far behind. And Vietnam won't want to be left out of the picture, either. How's that hangnail feeling in Peking?
