[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] The Core Bunker of the US-ROK Secret Military Operation Is

President Moon Jae-in's first visit after taking office in 2017 was to an exhibition command post in an undisclosed location in Seoul, commonly known as the 'B1 Bunker.'

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the ROK-US Combined Forces Command officially announced the postponement of the ROK-US joint exercise scheduled for early March due to the impact of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), drawing increased attention to the command bunkers. Since the joint exercise to be conducted by South Korea and the United States involves gathering about 500 personnel inside the bunker 'CP Tango' located in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, concerns were raised about the high risk of infection. It also implied that having the top leadership from both sides, such as the Combined Forces Commander and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, gather in one space was a burden.

There are about six underground bunkers in South Korea used as national command posts in emergencies. Most of these locations became known to the public when visited by the U.S. Secretary of State or the President.

The best-known facility is the ROK-US Combined Forces Command's command and control center 'CP Tango,' established in the 1970s. In September last year, the U.S. Department of Defense included the 'CP Tango' ($17.5 million), the wartime command and control center of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, among domestic and overseas military facility projects whose budgets were reallocated for the construction of the Mexico border wall.

This site has been shrouded in secrecy and its existence was kept confidential, but it was revealed in March 2005 when then U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited South Korea. The bunker is built underground in a solid granite tunnel beneath Cheonggyesan Mountain, located in a civilian control zone south of the Han River. When Secretary Rice visited, the media disclosed that the facility spanned thousands of pyeong (Korean unit of area), consisting of maze-like conference rooms and dining areas, and was capable of sustaining military personnel for over two months without leaving the bunker.

Notably, the quality of information shared at CP Tango is known to be on par with that of the U.S. mainland. It can receive intelligence from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in the U.S. mainland. Additionally, it can simultaneously receive photographic intelligence from reconnaissance satellites orbiting hundreds of kilometers above the Korean Peninsula, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft flying at 20 km altitude, and high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles such as the Global Hawk. Through this, it detects signs of North Korea preparing for a southern invasion. At least 48 hours before the outbreak of war, it can sense provocations from the North.

Also, the underground bunker 'CC (Command Center) Seoul' located within the U.S. military base in Yongsan, Seoul, is commonly called the '8th Army bunker.' It was first publicly disclosed in 2002 as a facility used by the ROK-US command during peacetime. It is currently known to be unused due to the relocation of the U.S. military base to Pyeongtaek. This facility plays a role in integrating various intelligence from U.S. reconnaissance satellites, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, and communication interception bases during peacetime. It is known to be smaller in scale compared to 'CP Tango.' It is also well known as the place where then Defense Minister Ro Jae-hyeon urgently took refuge during the December 12 incident in 1979.

There is also the lesser-known U.S. military Oscar bunker. The Oscar bunker is reported to be located in the Camp Walker area in Daegu and was built as a facility to prepare for a scenario where the ROK-US forces fail to stop a North Korean attack north of Seoul and are forced to retreat to the southern region of Seoul. No other information is known.

The representative command facility of the South Korean military is the underground bunker at the Blue House. This place is called the 'National Crisis Situation Center.' Originally equipped with only basic facilities, it was transformed into a bona fide emergency command site in 2003. At that time, the government decided to establish a crisis management center within the National Security Council (NSC) Secretariat and build a comprehensive national crisis management system, significantly reinforcing the underground bunker.

There is also the 'B1 bunker,' an underground bunker within the Capital Defense Command. In the past, presidents, as commanders-in-chief of the military, were exposed to the public by visiting the B1 bunker without fail during their first year in office. However, unlike former Presidents Kim Dae-jung and Roh Moo-hyun, who visited only once during their first year, former President Lee Myung-bak visited several times during his term. Due to strong North Korean opposition to the Ulchi exercises, the two former presidents refrained from visiting the B1 bunker further to avoid provoking North Korea. Former President Chun Doo-hwan, a military officer, reportedly brought his family to the B1 bunker during the Ulchi exercises and stayed for two days, personally commanding the training. President Park Geun-hye also visited the bunker during the Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG) exercise last year to encourage the troops.

The B1 bunker serves as the practical war command headquarters for the South Korean military in the event of a full-scale war. The wartime command post is based on the Joint Chiefs of Staff's Joint Command and Control System (KJCCS) and the Tactical Command and Control Automation System (C4I), where all battlefield data converge to assist the 'decisions' of the commander-in-chief, the president, and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in emergencies.

Large screens are equipped to monitor in real-time the North Korean ballistic missile tracking system sent from South Korean Navy Aegis ships and Green Pine radars, as well as the movements of North Korean vessels near the West Sea Northern Limit Line (NLL). This bunker is known to be equipped with facilities that allow many military commanders to conduct war operations without leaving for several months in preparation for wartime. The Joint Chiefs of Staff reportedly recently expanded this facility in preparation for the transfer of wartime operational control.

The KNTDS (Korean Navy Tactical Data System), which allows real-time monitoring of North Korean ballistic missile tracking systems from South Korean Navy Aegis ships and Green Pine radars, as well as movements of North Korean vessels near the West Sea NLL, is displayed on large screens in real-time.

There is also the 'B2 bunker' located underground in the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, Seoul. The Joint Chiefs of Staff introduced this facility to the public when the building was constructed in August 2012.

The B2 bunker is equipped with the Combined Forces Command Theater Command and Control System (CENTRIXS-K) and video command systems that allow sharing of military intelligence and battlefield situations not only with the ROK-US Combined Forces Command but also with the U.S. Pacific Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It oversees operations of the Army, Navy, and Air Force headquarters and operational commands through the Korean military Joint Command and Control System (KJCCS). It is also connected via real-time video command systems to overseas deployed units such as those in Haiti, allowing direct operational command from the Joint Chiefs of Staff while viewing high-definition images transmitted via military satellites. It is designed to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8.38 and is equipped with protective systems to endure electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks.

There are also the document storage (B3 bunker) at Gyeryongdae, where the Army, Navy, and Air Force headquarters are located, and the satellite operation center at Jaundae in Daejeon. These places are equipped with EMP protection facilities. The Joint Chiefs of Staff plans to designate 51 fixed facilities, including the Special Warfare Command, as additional EMP protection sites and include their construction in a mid-to-long-term plan to be completed by 2051. EMP warheads can disable radars, aircraft, and air defense systems, making them a key weapon in future warfare. When used against enemy fleets or aircraft, EMP warheads cause the aircraft or fleet to lose control functions momentarily, leading to crashes or disabling defensive capabilities.