ARIRANG NEWS 16:00 USFK commander calls for ′layered′ missile defense capability

• published: 20 Mar 2015
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ARIRANG NEWS 16:00 Hello everyone. This is Arirang News. It′s 4 p.m. here in Seoul. I′m Laah Hyun-kyung. Title: USFK commander calls for ′layered′ missile defense capability But first… Another hint that the U.S. might be mulling over deploying its missile defense system called THAAD to South Korea. To defense officials in Washington,… the top U.S. military general in South Korea emphasized the importance of having a layered ballistic missile defense capability in the South. Kim Hyun-bin has the story. The commander of U.S. Forces Korea is calling on Seoul and Washington to implement a "layered" ballistic missile defense capability,... in another strong signal that the U.S. is keen to deploy its THAAD system to the Korean peninsula. In a written testimony to the U.S. House appropriations subcommittee on defense on Thursday, General Curtis Scaparrotti stressed the need for a ballistic missile defense capability in South Korea due to the threat posed by North Korea. On the same day,... an official from the U.S. Defense Department said Washington is prepared to hold official talks with Seoul about the possible deployment of THAAD as there have been no formal consultations thus far. The ongoing speculation about the possible deployment of THAAD to South Korea has stirred controversy inside and outside of Korea. China and Russia are deeply opposed to THAAD being on their regional doorstep,... saying it would infringe upon their national security. On the other hand,... its supporters say THAAD would counter North Korea′s increasing ballistic and missile threats. The U.S. also believes the threat posed by North Korea has become even more acute. Scaparrotti says that Pyongyang has the ability to produce a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can be mounted on top of a ballistic missile. North Korea has conducted three nuclear bomb tests,... the first in 2006, the second in 2009, and the most recent coming in February 2013. Experts predict a potential fourth testing would be to test a miniaturized warhead. Kim Hyun-bin, Arirang News. Title: N. Korea could possess up to 100 nuclear weapons by 2020: U.S. analyst And speaking of nuclear warheads... A nuclear expert in the U.S. maintains that North Korea could have up to one-hundred nuclear weapons by the year 2020. Defending his original claim,... Joel Wit, an analyst for the North Korea monitoring website 38 North,... said... his theory was not beyond the realm of possibility. Wit added that... U.S. scientists have long known the North is able to produce weapons-grade plutonium at its main nuclear plant. However,... the U.S. analyst questioned South Korea′s assessment that North Korea currently has 16 warheads,... saying the estimation was based on assumptions only. Title: Seoul willing to raise wages at Kaesong within 5% The South Korean government has come out with an optimistic response to North Korea′s unilateral wage hike for its workers at the inter-Korean Kaeson