The Unified Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea reported to the parliament that North Korea is preparing for the possibility of launching a sudden attack using tactics employed by the Palestinian group Hamas during its attacks on Israel, according to the South Korean news outlet Yonhap News.
After analyzing Hamas's attacks on Israel involving rockets, guerrilla squads, trucks, and motorcycles, Chairman of the Unified Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Won In-choul, stated: "Based on initial assessment, Hamas's unexpected operation was successful. The Israeli 'Iron Dome' was overwhelmed by thousands of rocket strikes in a short period. The defensive efficacy of the 'Iron Dome' was minimal."
Gen. Won also noted that Israel's border system was neutralized, and intelligence services like the Mossad failed to anticipate the sudden attack.
According to him, a sudden attack using Hamas tactics, which involves diversifying methods of attack and exploiting vulnerabilities in advanced defense systems, is an anticipated scenario that North Korea may resort to. He also speculated that North Korea might occupy border territory and take hostages to escalate and push for negotiations.
Kan noted that long-range artillery and drones could be used as countermeasures against a sudden North Korean attack. He emphasized that units attempting to infiltrate by land, sea, or air could be neutralized through advanced base defense systems, integrated defense operations, anti-maritime special operations, and joint air defense operations. The Chairman of the Unified Joint Chiefs of Staff is confident that even if North Korea deploys a large number of drones, they can be detected, identified, and intercepted through joint air defense operations.
"Thanks to the air defense efforts, which poses a threat to the capital area, is eliminated at an early stage, and the interception capabilities ensure the protection of critical facilities and main bases in the capital region," he claims.
After the sudden attack by Hamas on Israel, South Korea's Minister of Defense, Suh Woon-sik, stated that he would seek the suspension of the inter-Korean military agreement of 2018. The goal is to resume monitoring the movement of North Korean troops and prepare for a possible attack.
