South Korea seeks to bolster investment in a wide array of cutting-edge defense technologies, from missile defense systems to hypersonic propulsion platforms, through 2037 to prepare for future warfare, Seoul's defense ministry said Wednesday.
The ministry unveiled details of its 15-year basic plan for innovation in defense science and technology following its approval from the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology earlier in the day.
The document contains mid- to long-term policy directions under the ministry's goals to secure advanced defense technologies to respond to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and neighboring countries, according to the ministry.
Under the plan, the country has chosen 30 strategic defense technologies that require investment, such as space-based surveillance and reconnaissance systems, hypersonic and underwater propulsion platforms, and those related to electromagnetic warfare.
They also include missile defense and "high-power" precision strike technologies to respond to threats from weapons of mass destruction, the ministry added.
Seoul has ramped up efforts to respond to evolving military threats from Pyongyang, recently highlighted by its launch of a purported solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile last Thursday.
The South aims to launch its first military surveillance satellite in November this year and has been working on the development of a new "high-power" ballistic missile, known as Hyunmoo-5.
It also approved a plan last week to domestically develop an electronic warfare aircraft to bolster its air assets' joint operational capabilities by disrupting the enemy's air defenses, and command and communication systems.
Source: Yonhap News Agency