Overview
- Military sources say deployment to operational units began late last year, with full fielding expected during President Lee Jae Myung’s term through June 2030.
- The surface-to-surface missile is designed to destroy deeply buried command facilities and can carry a conventional warhead of up to about eight tons.
- Analysts caution that the weapon’s destructive power does not match nuclear effects and may be limited against the deepest underground sites.
- The missile is a core element of the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation doctrine within the three-axis strategy, as Defense Minister Ahn pushes mass production for a stated balance of terror.
- The canisterized system uses a cold-launch method on a 9-axle mobile launcher, and assessments say reducing payload could extend its range toward roughly 3,000 kilometers.