Every time the main candidates in this presidential election talk about security, they take out their weapons one by one.

Candidate Jae-myung Lee praises L-SAM, a domestic long-range intercept system currently under development, Seok-yeol Yoon praises the US high-altitude missile defense system THAAD, and Candidate Cheol-su Ahn praises the Korean Iron Dome, which is also under development, as if it were the best.

It looks like a 'third round of the presidential election interception system', but the Blue House also intervened and officially announced the success of the test launch of the L-SAM and the Korean-style Iron Dome, which is unusual.



Voters are confused about who is right and which weapon is better.

Actually, it's not difficult.

They are all good defense weapons.

Since L-SAM is made in Korea, it is good to make a lot of it cheaply.

The world's best performing THAAD is concerned about a backlash from China, but if it is deployed additionally, its missile defense will be greatly improved.

The Korean-style iron dome is also suitable for intercepting low and slow-flying rockets, so it must be developed.



North Korea's offensive missile capabilities are abnormally powerful, so the intercept system is a multi-wing craft for us.

Whether domestic or foreign, there is strong opposition from the residents near the installation area and a lot of money, but it is necessary to persuade the residents well and save a lot of money to have a high-altitude, medium-high, and low-altitude interception system.



Security experts at each presidential camp know this.

Adequate advice should be given behind the scenes to ensure that candidates no longer only root for a specific intercept system.

Defense scientists and soldiers, as they have done for decades, will have to silently walk the path of strengthening their intercept and attack capabilities without turning their attention to politics.



Can THAAD not defend the metropolitan area?


A high-ranking general at an informal meeting a few days ago said, "If you ask a soldier for their opinion on the additional deployment of THAAD, it is a wrong question", "No soldier will refuse to give you another sword", "Soldiers are of course interested in the additional deployment of THAAD. I agree,” he said.



Since it is difficult to defend the metropolitan area with one THAAD battery in Soseong-ri, Seongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, if one additional battery is placed a little further north, it will be a thousand guns.

If THAAD is deployed in an appropriate position, it can intercept North Korean missiles flying toward the metropolitan area at high altitudes during the terminal phase.

Although there is no explicit plan for the deployment of additional U.S. troops and there is concern about backlash from China and local residents, the increase of one or two batteries is an enhancement of security.



Some argue that the deployment of THAAD is linked to the incorporation of the U.S. missile defense system into MD, but rather, the SM-3 interception system for ships, which the Ministry of National Defense actively promoted while preventing the mass production of the Korean medium-range interceptor system Chungung-II at the beginning of this government, is closer to the MD. I did.

Moreover, there are many evaluations that the SM-3 is not suitable for the situation of the Korean Peninsula with a short depth of field because the interception altitude is at an intermediate level higher than that of THAAD.



Will L-SAM be electrified within 2-3 years?


The domestic L-SAM is expected to play a big role in dropping North Korean missiles flying below the THAAD intercept range.

It also has the advantage of being able to fire as many interceptors as possible by securing enough interceptor missiles at a much cheaper price than THAAD missiles.

However, as presidential candidates and politicians cannot distinguish between system development, mass production, and electrification of L-SAM, it appears that L-SAM has been swept into a whirlwind of the presidential election.

They say that the domestic L-SAM will be deployed or deployed within 2-3 years, but it is not true.



It is correct to say that the development will be completed in 2-3 years at the earliest.

After that, it takes a long time to decide whether to mass-produce or not, and how much mass-production.

Once mass production is decided, it will take one to two years to manufacture.

After mass production, it takes about a year to deploy to the unit and then turn it into electricity.



In other words, L-SAM, which is currently under development, is not easily deployed by the next government.

The Cheongung-II, or M-SAM, which won the UAE’s 4 trillion export contract, was successfully developed and was about to be mass-produced in November 2017.

Many people endured all kinds of criticism and dried up the Ministry of National Defense and the Blue House to finally mass-produce the Cheongung-II.

L-SAM must also achieve perfect success in one-shot, one-kill in various processes in the future, so that it can be expected to be electrified only in the next government.




And yesterday, Park Soo-hyun, chief of public communication at the Blue House, delivered the news of the successful test launch of L-SAM, etc., but I can't help but burst the champagne quickly.

The L-SAM test launch, as said by Chief Park, means a rudimentary flight test.

Interceptor missiles, unlike attack missiles, must pass several flight tests and then pass a high-level interception test.

The intercept test is a procedure that accurately hits a simulated warhead that is falling at several times the speed of sound, and it must be tried several times and succeeded 80% or more in order to be judged suitable for combat.

The success or failure of L-SAM will then be decided.

It may be politically beneficial, but an applause sent too early is a burden on defense scientists.

A Korean-style iron dome for defense of the metropolitan area?


The South Korean Iron Dome is good for preventing attacks from long-range artillery, such as North Korean multiple rocket launchers and self-propelled artillery, heading towards the metropolitan area.

North Korea is deploying about 1,000 long-range artillery guns along the demarcation line. Development of a South Korean iron dome is an essential task for security.



However, North Korea's weapons to attack the metropolitan area are not limited to long-range artillery.

North Korea has a large number of short-range and semi-medium-range missiles capable of hitting Seoul.

North Korea's new short-range, semi-medium-range missiles are known for their power at the level of tactical nuclear weapons.

In order to defend the metropolitan area such as Seoul, full options such as THAAD, L-SAM, Cheongung-II, Patriot, and Korean Iron Dome must be operated.

It is not possible to secure them sequentially.



Defense scientists and soldiers know well that THAAD, L-SAM, Chun-Gung-II, Patriot, and Korean Iron Dome are all needed.

We are also well aware of the importance of attack missiles for preemptive strikes.

You don't care what the politicians say, you just have to look far away and work hard to develop and prepare as you have been doing.



Park Soo-hyeon, the chief of staff, said yesterday, "We have succeeded in developing high-power ballistic missiles and supersonic cruise missiles after the end of the South Korea-US missile guidelines, which will be President Moon Jae-in's historic achievements."

It is impossible for a missile that did not exist suddenly to appear suddenly that the missile guidelines were over.

High-power ballistic missiles and supersonic cruise missiles are weapons that our defense scientists and soldiers have been developing for a long time, assuming that the guidelines will be over.

Even if politicians occupy the gorgeous bouquet in front, we must not forget that there are defense scientists and soldiers behind the scenes who are not swayed by politics and are dedicated to developing domestic weapons.