SEOUL - South Korea carried out an independent tabletop exercise this year, focusing on the simulation of a North Korean nuclear attack. This exercise is part of the country's continuous efforts to enhance response capabilities against military threats from the North, as stated by the defense ministry on Friday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, During a meeting led by Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, which assessed the progress of the Defense Innovation 4.0 plan aimed at strengthening national defense capabilities, the ministry highlighted this discussion-based exercise as a key achievement of the year. The exercise was conducted in August, coinciding with major summertime drills between South Korea and the United States. It involved discussions on retaliatory measures and damage assessment in the event of a North Korean nuclear attack. South Korea has previously conducted similar drills with U.S. officials, focusing on North Korea's potential use of nuclear weapons. The defense ministry plans to intensify exercises under such scenarios next year and continue enhancing the credibility of the United States' "extended deterrence" commitment, which includes the deployment of key U.S. military assets. Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. promise to defend an ally using its full range of military capabilities, including nuclear weapons. Following the approval of the government's overall budget plan by the National Assembly, the defense ministry's budget for the upcoming year was confirmed at 59.42 trillion won (US$45.6 billion), marking a 4.2 percent increase from this year. The ministry is set to allocate 17.65 trillion won next year to further improve defense capabilities, a 4.4 percent increase over the same period.