S. Korea mulls test-firing ballistic missile

South Korea is considering test-firing a ballistic missile in response to the North's intermediate-range missile launch, the defence ministry said on Monday.

"In response to North Korea's missile launch Sunday, we are reviewing measures to discard security concerns and show our determination to retaliate against any aggression by the North," a defence ministry official told Yonhap News Agency.

The official said the military is mulling over live firing the Hyunmoo-2A with a range of more than 300 km or the Hyunmoo-2B with a range of over 500 km.

It is also considering publicising photos or video of the missile launch.

"There is also an opinion in the military that it will be more effective to unveil the test-firing scene of a new 800 km ballistic missile which is in the final stage of development," the official said.

The Hyunmoo missiles are a core asset in the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) plan.

The KMPR directly targets the North's military leadership with the aim of neutralising key figures and infrastructure if there are clear signs of the imminent use of nuclear weapons, according to the ministry.

In recent years, the military has test-fired newly developed missiles on the heels of Pyongyang's provocations. The communist regime conducted two nuclear tests and a series of missile launches last year alone.

--IANS

ksk/vm