Title: South Korean Defense: Maintaining Capabilities to Strike North Korean Command

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik on Friday urged the retention of operational capabilities to eliminate North Korean leadership in emergencies to deter its nuclear threats. During his visit to the Defense Development Agency in Daejeon, Shin stated, "To deter North Korea's nuclear threats, we must be equipped with capabilities for comprehensive punishment and retaliation operations (KMPR) at all times." Comprehensive punishment and retaliation operations refer to an operational plan to eradicate North Korean leadership in the event of a major conflict. This serves as one of the pillars of the country's three-pronged deterrent structure, which includes the preemptive strike platform "Kill Chain" and the "Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD)" system. Shin inspected weapon systems being developed for the three-pronged deterrent system, such as long-range air-to-ground missiles and low-altitude missile defense systems, as well as advanced unmanned assets, including stealth and lethal drones. This comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un threatened to destroy the South if it attempted to use force against the North during a recent visit to major munitions factories earlier this week.