Concerns over N. Korean artillery threats renew after Hamas rocket attack on Israel

South Korea's low-altitude missile defense system is on display at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, Oct. 21, 2021. Yonhap

Hamas' surprise rocket attack on Israel has renewed security concerns in South Korea over Seoul's capabilities to counter a potential attack from North Korea.

Hamas unleashed a barrage of some 5,000 rockets on Israel last Saturday, with some of them bypassing Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system, despite its known interception rate of 90 percent.

"Based on analysis of media reports and relevant information, the Iron Dome appears to not have functioned to its full capabilities," a South Korean military official said.

The attack has brought renewed attention to South Korea's military capabilities for countering the threats posed by North Korea's artillery positioned near the border, which is known to be more powerful than Hamas' rockets.

North Korea is known to be able to fire some 16,000 shells per hour from some 1,000 artillery pieces along the border in the early stages of a war. Of them, North Korea is estimated to operate some 340 long-range artillery pieces, which directly target the greater Seoul area, home to about half of the country's 51.5 million people.

South Korea has been pushing to develop a low-altitude missile defense system by 2026 to intercept any potential North Korean artillery attack.

It is also developing the long-range surface-to-air missile system and an improved version of the mid-range surface-to-air missile system as part of the Korea Air and Missile Defense system, a pillar of the country's "three-axis" defense system against North Korea.

The system also includes the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation, an operational plan to incapacitate the North Korean leadership in a major conflict, and the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike platform. (Yonhap)