South Korea to deploy coastal surveillance system by next year

South Korea will develop an advanced coastal surveillance system composed of radar and cameras for deployment in border and offshore areas prone to infiltrations by next year, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) in South Korea said Monday. The DAPA said it will spend 41.8 billion won about (US$38.6 million) to upgrade the current radar and thermal observation devices placed in coastal areas and additionally install day and night surveillance cameras developed by Daebo Communication and Systems, a South Korean IT company, according to South Korea's (Yonhap) News Agency. The project also includes an integrated control system to enable information access between different units to enhance border awareness of northwestern islands in the tensely guarded Yellow Sea, the agency said. The DAPA plans to pick 12 Army and Marine Corps units in coastal areas, which are deemed prone to infiltration by North Koreans, to install the surveillance system by next year, officials said. "This project will put major coastal areas under constant watch and enable neighboring units to share real-time visual information for effective border operations," the DAPA said in a release.