Faced with North Korea’s ever-growing nuclear and missile capabilities, South Korean Air Force has been honing on its own preemptive strike system by developing its own reconnaissance and surveillance assets and acquiring some from the United States. 

Among them are RQ-4 Global Hawks, which are to be delivered to South Korea next year. The drones will serve as a key plank of a sensor network designed to watch North Korea for an advance warning of missile launches and nuclear attacks.

Besides, the Air Force has been assembling its own arsenal of surveillance drones, including medium-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (MUAVs). Scheduled to be deployed around 2020, the drones can monitor North Korea 10 kilometers above the ground. 

“It would improve our capability to secure sufficient deterrence against North Korea’s potential threat and help us play a crucial role in joint and combined theater,” the Air Force said its report submitted to the lawmakers.

The Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Wang-keun, meanwhile, said the military’s decision not to scramble its fighter jets during US bombers‘ flyover last month near the Northern Limit Line was to observe the de facto sea border with North Korea.

The US’ supersonic B-lb bombers flew across the NLL in the East Sea on Sept. 23 as a show of force against North Korea’s nuclear test and missile launch earlier last month. They flew further north than any US aircraft has flown off the North’s coast this century.

“NLL is still the line that (the two Koreas) mutually observes.. I understand we didn’t (join the drill) not to undermine the NLL,” Lee told the lawmakers.

Lee added that he did not consult with the US over the flyover, although he was notified about it in advance. Some opposition lawmakers criticized Lee for failing to have a bilateral discussion and accused it as an example of South Korea being sidelined by the US over the security issue.

By Yeo Jun-suk (jasonyeo@heraldcorp.com)