South Korean Missile Test

[Anchor Lead]

The South Korean military has succeeded in test-firing a Hyunmoo-type ballistic missile with a range of 800 kilometers. Unlike existing ballistic missiles, the Hyunmoo-type missile can strike North Korean territory even when launched from southern regions of South Korea.

[Pkg]

If a South Korean ballistic missile with a range of 800 kilometers is deployed, South Korea's radius of operations will expand to cover the entire Korean Peninsula. If stationed on Jejudo Island, the missile could hit not only Pyongyang but also the North's missile launching site in Dongchang-ri, Pyonganbuk-do Province along with the Yongbyon nuclear facility. If launched from Pohang or Busan, the missile could hit any part of the North, including a nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, Hamgyongbuk-do Province and a submarine base in Sinpo City in Hamgyongnam-do Province. With the missile, the South Korean military will get to secure the capacity to destroy the North's command posts and key nuclear and missile facilities in the event of contingency. The fact that the South can now launch such missiles outside the range of North Korean long-range artillery forward deployment in the front lines is significant. Experts say that the South needs to develop diverse warheads to boost its missile capacity as it has become possible to hit any part of the Korean Peninsula. Military authorities plan to deploy the Hyunmoo-type missile with a range of 800 kilometers within the year after test-firing it a few more times.