According to an Associated Press report, the US and South Korea were considering a delay in the plan to cease US wartime command of the troops of South Korea. The move came amidst increased fears of the capabilities of North Korea to launch weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). The US currently has control of South Korea's troops and was originally scheduled to hand back wartime command to the Seoul in December 2015. However, the South Korean government asked to postpone the transfer because its troops were not yet ready.
US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters in Seoul that they took the request of South Korea very seriously. Hagel and his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan-jin also signed an official agreement for deeper cooperation on how to handle any WMD strike from North Korea.
A Bloomberg report revealed that South Korea would be spending close to KRW 1 trillion or USD 931 million next year to beef up its command system. The funds would enable its military to conduct first strikes against North Korean targets if that became necessary. Its Defense Ministry also said that the South Korean government would be spending KRW 120 billion to improve its missile defenses.
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