Seoul courts risk after ‘no shackles’ missile development deal

South Korea can now develop missiles of whatever range and payload it wants, but analysts worry it could stoke tension.

Seoul, South Korea – South Korea is now free to develop missiles of whatever payload and range it chooses after an agreement last month between US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. But the move, announced following the two leaders White House summit on May 21, introduced new security risks surrounding South Korea’s missile development and some analysts were concerned about the potential effect on the wider region. The South Korean military already has cutting edge missile technology, although previously restricted to 800 kilometres (497 miles) in range, research fellow Daniel Bong, of the Yonsei Institute for North Korea Studies, told Al Jazeera. The question is whether the South Korean government wants to enter the exclusive club of states possessing long-range missiles.