DATE=1-17-01

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-271460

TITLE=SOUTH KOREA MISSILES L

BYLINE=JIM RANDLE

DATELINE=BEIJING

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: South Korea says it will soon build and deploy missiles that can reach most of North Korea. The announcement comes just as tensions are lessening between the two Koreas. V-O-A's Jim Randle, who covers security issues in Asia, reports, the decision to build the missiles came only after South Korea's close ally, the United States, lifted its objections.

TEXT: The new missiles will be able to deliver a 500-kilogram explosive up to 300 kilometers away. That is nearly double the range of the missiles currently in the South Korean arsenal.

South Korea could have made such weapons years ago, but was stopped by an agreement with Washington, to limit the range of its ballistic

missiles.

It took five years and 20 round of negotiations to work out the new deal earlier this month. U-S officials say they were concerned that advances in South Korean weaponry would spark an arms race in Asia. Washington officials also worried that better South Korean weapons would make it more difficult to persuade North Korea to stop development of

Long-range missiles that could threaten Japan and other parts of Asia, and perhaps even the far western parts of the United States.

The U-S had considerable leverage in the talks because Washington sells South Korea many of the high technology weapons that strengthen the South's formidable military.

From a military point of view, the longer range means the South Korean missiles could hit more targets in North Korea, and it gives Seoul a lot more places to hide the weapons from North Korean forces.

North and South Korea both maintain large, powerful military forces. The two Koreas fought a bloody three-year war in the early 1950's,

Which ended with a truce, not a peace treaty. So they are technically still at war, even though this year relations have noticeably warmed with a summit, and agreements to begin new transport links and limited visits. (Signed)

NEB/HK/AR/JO