section 2 Maintaining a Readiness Posture against Local Provocations For early detection of signs of military provocations from North Korea, the rOK military operates the rOK-U.S. combined intelligence assets. to prepare for diverse infiltration attempts and provocations, combined crisis management exercises have been ramped up, with the system for surveillance, decisionmaking, and strike being optimized on land, sea, and airspace across enemy contact areas. 1. Developing early Warning and Crisis Management systems | establishing surveillance and early Warning Capabilities | For early detection of signs of North Korean provocations and the speedy transmission of detected data, the ROK military operates the ROK-U.S. combined information assets which include signal and imagery assets and satellites, while also periodically holding enemy provocation threat evaluation meetings. The ROK and the U.S. jointly evaluate the various signs of provocations, including the launch of long-range missiles and nuclear tests. All available intelligence gathered by domestic and foreign organizations are comprehensively analyzed and shared with appropriate operational units in a timely manner. To be able to detect the earliest signs of North Korean provocations, the ROK military plans to continuously expand its independent surveillance capabilities by acquiring mid- to high-altitude reconnaissance UAVs, multi-purpose satellites and military reconnaissance satellites. | Developing the Crisis Management system | To effectively respond to various threats of provocations from North Korea, the ROK military is firmly establishing its crisis management system and the ROK-U.S. Joint Response System. Security manuals were revised in accordance with the newly-amended ‘National Crisis Management Fundamental Guidelines’ (May 2015), with operational plans and operating procedures also updated and improved appropriately. Meanwhile, through the National Security Strategy Game, attended by highlevel decision-makers of relevant government organizations, efforts are underway to develop concrete response strategies for different types of crisis situations, while also exploring government-wide response strategies. Crisis management exercises are held on a regular basis, and the level of crisis management and related task performance capabilities are also period- 54 Chapter 3 establishing a robust Defense Posture