S.Korea Requests More US Surveillance Assets to Tackle N.Korean Threats

The South Korean Defense Ministry said in a parliamentary report that it had significantly increased the monitoring of Pyongyang's suspicious activities and asked for US assistance on the issue, according to local media.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The South Korean authorities have asked the United States for deployment of more military surveillance assets in order to deal with potential threats posed by the North, local media reported Monday.

The South Korean Defense Ministry said in a parliamentary report that it had significantly increased the monitoring of Pyongyang's suspicious activities and asked for US assistance on the issue, the Yonhap news agency reported.

The media cited the ministry's official as saying that Pyongyang could increase tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but improvement of surveillance and reconnaissance cooperation between Seoul and Washington would allow to tackle the potential provocations.

On December 5, the South Korean Internet and Security Agency (KISA) warned about the possible rise of cyberattacks on the state institutions and infrastructure facilities next year amid political instability in the country caused by the scandal around impeached President Park Geun-hye.