Bilateral guidelines that have long restricted development of South Korea's ballistic missile program have been terminated, according to an agreement announced by President Moon Jae-in at his summit with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on May 21. The move, long sought by Seoul, will affect the regional security dynamic in Asia by expanding South Korea's missile and space force capabilities. It is also expected to further contribute to a rebalancing of the military relationship between the two long-time allies. The still-classified guidelines, signed by the two countries in 1979 and revised four times, placed varying limits primarily on the range and maximum payload that South Korea could incorporate in its ballistic missile designs.
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