To counter North Korea’s short and medium-range ballistic missile arsenal, South Korea seeks to develop a sophisticated, long-range cruise missile with a firing range of over 300 kilometers, Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung said.

``We are considering the development of the long-range cruise missile and the United States is already aware of the plan,’’ Yoon said in a meeting with reporters at the ministry last Friday.

He expects the missile to have a clear advantage in terms of accuracy compared with the North’s.

The contemplated cruise missile is likely to be a long-range variant of those already tested during the past years, military sources said.

Last December, the military announced it succeeded in developing a sea-skimming, anti-ship missile, with a range of 150 kilometers.

Full Story