SEOUL (THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - The South Korean government has allocated its budget for a "decapitation unit" for the first time to enhance the special warfare capability targeting North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, Seoul's defence ministry said Wednesday (Dec 6).

According to the ministry budget report, some 340 million won (S$420,000) was earmarked for the 2018 budget plan to improve the capabilities of the special warfare unit to conduct the clandestine assassination operation on North Korea's leader.

"The money will be spent on purchasing equipment for the special forces," said an official from the defence ministry under the customary condition of anonymity. "The equipment includes a suicide drone, surveillance drone and grenade machine gun."

The ministry said they will carry out the purchasing plan next year and increase the amount of budget for the decapitation unit accordingly. A total of 26 billion won will be spent to enhance the unit's warfighting capability, the official said.

South Korean military launched a brigade-level "decapitation unit" on Dec 1. The unit is reported to include about 1,000 special warfare forces tasked with neutralizing North Korea's wartime command-and-control system by eliminating Kim and other top officials.