South Korea said Wednesday it would accelerate the development of longer-range ballistic missiles that could cover the whole of North Korea in response to a third nuclear test by Pyongyang.
"We will speed up the development of ballistic missiles with a range of 800 kilometres (500 miles)," Defence Ministry spokesman Kim Min-Seok told reporters.
In October last year, South Korea reached a deal with the United States to almost triple the range of its missile systems -- with Seoul arguing it needed an upgrade to counter the North's missile and nuclear programmes.
The United States has 28,500 troops in South Korea and guarantees a nuclear "umbrella" in case of any atomic attack. In return, Seoul accepts limits on its missile capabilities.
Prior to the October agreement, the South was restricted to missiles with a range of 300 kilometres.
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