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The former chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff has warned that North Korea
might have the will... and the capability... to wage an all-out war with South Korea.
Park Ji-won reports. General Jung Seung-jo, who served as the chairman of South Korea's
Joint Chiefs of Staff until last October, has raised the possibility that North Korea
could wage an all-out war with South Korea. Speaking at a seminar in Washington under
the theme of "North Korea's Military Threat and South Korea-U.S. Alliance," Jung said
Pyongyang's military capabilities and its long-standing ambition of a forceful unification
means there's a possibility the North could initiate a major conflict with the South.
"Some experts assess that North Korea does not have the capability to conduct an all-out
war due to the aged equipment and economic gap. However, I am skeptical of this assessment."
General Jung said North Korea boasts massive conventional armed forces, and it's intensifying
its asymmetric military capabilities, such as diverse long-range missiles, and chemical
and biological weapons. He also expressed concern about North Korea
conducting a fourth nuclear test.
"They will try to show off their diversity of nuclear weapons by utilizing highly enriched
uranium to hold a high intensity nuclear test."
He added the North has deployed about 70 percent of its military capabilities, including its
diverse long-range missiles, to regions south of Pyongyang.
This means it could carry out a surprise attack on South Korea at any time.
He stressed, however, that the South Korea-U.S. alliance has been successful in deterring
North Korea. The general said the South Korean military
needs to keep strengthening its capabilities,... especially in terms of tactical command and
control, surveillance patrols and surgical strikes.
Park Ji-won, Arirang News.