South Korea Plans to Deploy U.S. Missiles

Wednesday, November 5, 2003

(9:16 AM ET)

By Soo-Jeong Lee

Associated Press Writer

Missiles with a range of 186 miles are capable of striking Pyongyang and other parts of North Korea including, Yongbyon, where the North says it is using spent nuclear fuel rods to make atomic bombs.

SEOUL, South Korea -- AP
South Korea will begin deploying U.S.-made missiles next month that can strike most of North Korea, a defense ministry official said Wednesday.

The Army Tactical Missile System Block 1A missiles, made by the U.S. company Lockheed Martin, has a range of 186 miles and will be deployed near the Demilitarized Zone - a 2{ mile-wide border separating the two nations.

``We plan to start deploying the missiles next month,'' said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

South Korea has already purchased an undisclosed number of the weapons and intends to buy a total of 111 Army Tactical Missile System Block 1A missiles by 2004. It bought the early version of the system with a range of 102 miles in 1997.
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2003 © The Associated Press.

Dan