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The South Korean military test launches the ballistic missile Hyunmoo-2 in response to a series of North Korean test launches on Sept. 15

Regular launch exercises are being conducted as of this year for Hyunmoo-series missiles that are currently in service, military authorities announced.

In a Q&A session for a National Assembly National Defense Committee parliamentary audit at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) headquarters on Oct. 8, Maj. Gen. Lee Jeong-su, commander of the South Korean Army Missile Command, was asked by Hwang Young-cheul, a lawmaker with the Liberty Korea Party, whether missile launch exercises were being conducted.

“Missile firing exercises are being staged on a regular basis, with launch tests conducted as of this year,” Lee replied.

“We’ve had one [exercise] this year and are planning additional ones going forward,” he added.

Lee explained, “We had not done launch tests since 2013, but in 2017 we conducted five tests with seven [missiles] in response to North Korea’s missile launch.”

“While the South Korean military’s missiles are certainly reliable, launch testing is necessary to improve the operational capabilities of military personnel,” he said. When asked to compare the level of South Korea’s missiles with those of North Korea, he said, “In terms of firing range, ours are inferior [to North Korea’s], but ours are superior in terms of precision and power.”

JCS Chairman Gen. Park Han-ki was asked whether adequate missile exercises would be held in the future.

“We intend to increase the volume of exercises, including test launches,” he replied. When asked how often missile interception exercises were held, he said, “We have one a month with South Korean assets, and we also do exercises with joint South Korea-US assets.”

South Korea and the US are reportedly using Patriot (PAC) missiles for interception exercises. But Park stressed, “We are not doing joint exercises with THAAD [the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system].”

Regarding the situation with North Korean drones, Park said the North “possesses roughly 500 of them.”

By Yoo Kang-moon, staff reporter

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