Overview
- Military sources say deployment started late last year, with integration under way and full operational fielding expected before the Lee Jae Myung administration ends in 2030.
- The surface-to-surface missile is reported to carry a conventional warhead of up to about 8 tons and is designed to penetrate and destroy hardened underground bunkers, including leadership and command sites.
- A Defense Ministry official confirmed the system is being integrated, while Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back has said mass production has begun and argued for a sizeable arsenal to create a “balance of terror.”
- The Hyunmoo-5 is a pillar of the three-axis posture, including the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation doctrine, and complements preemptive strike and missile defense components.
- Analysts note the missile’s power but caution that conventional warheads cannot replicate nuclear effects, that the deepest facilities may survive, and that range could theoretically increase if payload is reduced.