South Korea and the United States will set up a new joint-run military unit to destroy North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in the event of war, South Korea’s Defense Ministry announced on Thursday.

The unit will be organised at the beginning of 2015 and will comprise of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division and a South Korean brigade division, and will be tasked with carrying out “civil missions against North Korea” and the destruction of WMD.

“The new joint division is expected to improve the Seoul-Washington joint deterrence posture and boost our military’s capabilities to carry out joint operations,” the South