SEOUL, July 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military is mulling over partly financing major firepower projects with private funds, an official said Tuesday.
South Korea is pushing for the establishment of a "three-axis" platform to help defend itself against North Korea's growing nuclear and missile threats. The three elements are the Kill Chain pre-emptive strike system, the Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR) strategy.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in has pledged to complete the program as early as possible, since it's a precondition for the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of his troops from the United States.
"Our military will make efforts on various ways including the build-transfer-lease (BTL) system to set up the capabilities to counter North Korea's nukes and missiles as early as possible, which include the three-axis scheme," Moon Sang-gyun, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a press briefing.
A legal review is required for the military's adoption of the privately funded BTL, he added.
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