South Korea will develop its own indigenous long-range air-to-ground missile to counter growing threats of North Korea.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration(DAPA) said in a meeting chaired by Defense Minister Han Min-koo on Wednesday that it has decided to pursue a project to develop and produce 200 long-range air-to-surface Taurus-class missiles by 2031.

Under the plan, the Agency for Defense Development(ADD) will launch research and development of the missile in 2018. 

The missile will be modeled after the German-made Taurus, which has a range of 500 kilometers and is capable of hitting any target in North Korea, including its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon and Punggye-ri.