South Korean military conducting 'decapitation drills', targeting North Korea’s Kim Jong Un

South Korea has acknowledged engaging in “decapitation drills” within its military, specifically targeting the potential assassination of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un. The admission comes as Kim Jong Un announced plans on Sunday to enhance North Korea’s nuclear capabilities, develop military drones, and launch new spy satellites in 2024. According to a New York Post report, South Korean Defence Minister Shin Won-sik revealed in an interview on MBN television that eliminating the supreme leader of the Hermit Kingdom is considered an “option.” This marks a rare disclosure from Seoul, as such operations have not been publicly addressed for at least six years. When questioned about the ongoing viability of assassination drills and the potential deployment of US nuclear weapons in the region, Won-sik confirmed that both options are under consideration. He further mentioned that US forces have participated in these assassination drills. “While it is difficult to openly discuss decapitation, the ROK-US special operation forces are… conducting training,” Won-sik was quoted as saying. “This training is for aerial maneuvers, raids on key facilities and indoor mop-up,” he added. According to a New York Post report, citing NK News, the exercises, conducted in collaboration with US Army Special Forces, took place in December, as confirmed by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff. The notion of a “decapitation unit” aimed at eliminating North Korean leaders was last openly discussed in 2017 by former South Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo. This unit would involve helicopters and planes designed for infiltrating North Korea to carry out assassinations. Despite North Korea openly acknowledging its weapons of mass destruction, South Korea does not possess a nuclear stockpile. Officials believe that instilling fear in Kim Jong Un for his safety remains one of Seoul’s best deterrence options. The renewed talk of the decapitation unit follows North Korea’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test, seen as a response to a meeting between US and South Korean leaders. President Biden has cautioned that any North Korean attack on South Korea would lead to the end of Kim Jong Un’s regime. Meanwhile, Kim Jong Un has directed his military commanders to prepare for using their most formidable capabilities to obliterate the United States and South Korea in the event of a military conflict, as reported by state media on Monday. Kim emphasised the increasing likelihood of an armed conflict on the Korean peninsula, attributing it to aggressive actions by adversaries, including the United States. He underscored the need for North Korea to “sharpen the treasured sword” in defence of its sovereignty. Kim’s directive was unequivocal: “If the enemy opts for military confrontation, our army should deal a deadly blow to thoroughly annihilate them by mobilizing all the toughest means and potentialities without a moment’s hesitation,” as quoted by the KCNA news agency. These statements were made during a gathering of senior military officials at the ruling Workers’ Party (WPK) headquarters on Sunday, where Kim praised their achievements in 2023, as reported by the state news agency. In 2023, North Korea conducted tests of its most powerful ballistic missiles to date and launched its inaugural military reconnaissance satellite. Kim has hailed these developments as significant strides in the modernization of the nation’s military capabilities. This call for heightened military preparedness follows the commitments made at the end of a five-day WPK meeting. With inputs from agencies