South Korean military is pushing to create an additional army unit in preparations for possible "terror attacks" from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) amid rising tensions on the Korean peninsula, Yonhap news agency reported Friday citing military authorities.
An unidentified South Korean military official was quoted as saying that the military plans to intensively build up anti-terror capabilities in preparation for possible DPRK terror attacks.
The military is pushing for an additional creation of a state-level anti-terror army unit or an expansion of the existing anti-terror unit to a state-level one, according to the official.
South Korea's military is already operating anti-terror units under the army's special warfare command and the chemical, biological and radiological protection command.
The plan came amid growing worries in South Korea about possible terrorist attacks from the DPRK after its fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6, followed by a long-range rocket launch on Feb. 7, which outsiders see as a banned test of ballistic missile technology.
South Korea's senior presidential press secretary Kim Sung-Woo told a press briefing Thursday that top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un recently issued an order to muster up its anti-South Korea terror attack capabilities and that the DPRK's spy agency is preparing to implement the order.
Calling the order as direct threats to people's lives and safety in South Korea, Kim said the possibility for the DPRK terror attacks against South Korea has increased more than ever.
He didn't elaborate on where he got the intelligence. Kim urged the parliament to pass a pending anti-terror bill as quickly as possible to effectively tackle possible DPRK terror threats, adding that Pyongyang has continued reckless provocations such as the nuclear test and long-range missile launch.
The National Intelligence Service (NIS), South Korea's spy agency, reportedly briefed ruling Saenuri Party members on Thursday about the DPRK's preparations for terror attacks against South Korea.
The NIS estimated that the DPRK could target anti-DPRK activists, defectors or government officials, who could be kidnapped or under poisoning attacks.
The terror attacks could target subways, shopping malls and other public places as well as infrastructure like electricity and traffic facilities, according to the NIS estimates.
