[Seoul Yonhap News]According to the South Korean military, the National Institute of Defense Science (ADD) is expected to test launch a Hyunmoo-series ballistic missile at a test site on the west coast on the 3rd.
The scene of the firing of a “high-powered Hyunmoo missile” unveiled by the South Korean military on Armed Forces Day on Oct. 1 last year (file photo) = (Yonhap News)
Due to a missile test, a navigational warning was issued in the surrounding waters from the 3rd to the 4th, and the military is expected to conduct a test launch during the same period, considering weather conditions and other factors. Considering the range of the target sea area, it seems that it will first verify whether it can be launched normally.
The military is said to test-fire a missile called Hyunmoo-5. With a warhead weight of 8 to 9 tons, it is said to exhibit unparalleled power among conventional non-nuclear missiles. Although the maximum range has not been announced, it is said to be capable of exceeding 3,000 kilometers, equivalent to an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), by adjusting the weight of the warhead.
The South Korean military estimates that the missile, dubbed “Hyunmu-5”, can be as powerful as a nuclear weapon if multiple missiles are launched simultaneously. Taking advantage of its weight, it can attack tunnels and bunkers that are more than 100 meters underground, and the wedge-shaped warhead is suitable for such purposes.
After the test launch of the missile, the military plans to further strengthen the capability of the “South Korean-style three-axis system” to respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile attacks. The South Korean triaxial system consists of the kill chain that preemptively strikes North Korea in the event of an emergency, the South Korean Missile Defense System (KAMD) that is responsible for defending against North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles, and the leadership in the event of an attack from North Korea. It consists of mass counterattack retaliation (KMPR) that retaliates against such as.
The US Congressional Research Service recently released an analysis that North Korea could equip the KN-23, a North Korean version of the Russian-made Iskander short-range ballistic missile, with a nuclear warhead.
In addition, North Korea has announced that it will complete “preparation of a military reconnaissance satellite” by April this year, and South Korea and the United States have said that North Korea may launch a test launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) around this time. Watch and be wary.
tnak51@yna.co.kr
