According to a report by "Defense Asia" on October 20, South Korea has officially launched mass production of the Hyunmu-5 ballistic missile and plans to complete the first deployment by the end of this year.

This missile is called the "Monster Missile," and South Korea positions it as one of the core pillars of its three-axis strike system, claiming to have the strongest conventional strike capability in Asia.

South Korean officials stated that the Hyunmu-5 is mainly used for conventional strikes against North Korean nuclear facilities and deep command posts, aiming to achieve strategic-level deterrence without developing nuclear weapons.

The missile will be integrated with the South Korean military command system by the end of 2025 and will fully enter the combat sequence.

South Korea emphasized that the mass production of the Hyunmu-5 marks a historic breakthrough in South Korea's missile technology and defense autonomy, significantly enhancing the national security architecture.

At the same time, the report also pointed out that the long-range version of the Hyunmu-5 has a range of up to 5,500 kilometers, covering parts of China and other areas in Northeast Asia, clearly not targeting only North Korea.

Hyunmu-5

According to the information, the Hyunmu-5 missile is the latest generation of ballistic missile system jointly developed by the South Korean Defense Development Agency and Hanwha Aerospace. Its main feature is the ability to suppress strategic targets within the framework of a conventional warhead.

The missile uses a solid-fuel propulsion system and has cold launch technology. The total weight of the missile is about 36 tons, and the maximum weight of the warhead can reach 9 tons.

Its warhead design can penetrate reinforced underground targets over 100 meters, and it is positioned by South Korea as a non-nuclear alternative, aiming to destroy enemy strategic facilities through large-yield conventional explosions.

In terms of range, depending on different warhead configurations, the standard version can reach 3,500 kilometers, and the light-load warhead version theoretically exceeds 5,500 kilometers, covering northeastern and northern China, the entire Japan, and the Russian Far East region.

The navigation system of the Hyunmu-5 combines inertial guidance and satellite correction, with a hit accuracy of within 10 meters, capable of conducting rapid surgical-style strikes on airports, communication hubs, and underground command centers.

Additionally, the missile has high mobility, carried by a 9-axleTEL launcher, with the ability for field deployment, quick erection, and immediate departure after firing, offering tactical flexibility.

In South Korea's overall operational concept, the Hyunmu-5 is incorporated into the kill chain system, serving as a key node for preemptive strikes, aiming to implement a decapitation operation on North Korea's nuclear and missile systems, thereby enhancing strategic initiative.

Hyunmu-5

It should be noted that the deployment of the Hyunmu-5 coincides with some subsidiaries of Hanwha Group being listed on China's sanctions list.

Although the Chinese sanctions target Hanwha Ocean and other maritime subsidiaries related to the U.S., they do not directly affect its aerospace or missile systems business, but this diplomatic background still cannot be ignored.

From a chronological perspective, South Korea's accelerated deployment of the Hyunmu-5 comes at a time when Sino-U.S. competition in regional security and technology is intensifying. This move by South Korea undoubtedly has the meaning of demonstrating military power and technological autonomy externally.

While the South Korean authorities emphasize that the missile is exclusively for deterring North Korea, in reality, its technical specifications have far exceeded the requirements for targeting North Korea in terms of range and striking power.

Given the tense relationship between China and South Korea, and the continued U.S. intervention in the Indo-Pacific, the Hyunmu-5 is difficult to completely disentangle from its intentions toward China.

Especially noteworthy is that the Hyunmu-5 is not deployed in fixed silos, but is highly mobile, with extremely short preparation time for launching, possessing a preemptive attribute.

This means that in the event of a crisis between China and South Korea, South Korea has the capability to launch a rapid strike against China's deep targets.

Therefore, even if South Korea does not acknowledge its intention toward China, in the strategic reality, China cannot ignore it.

South Korean flag and Chinese flag

Certainly, regarding the range issue of the Hyunmu-5, China can respond.

China can establish a denser early warning system in the northeast direction. The flight time of the Hyunmu-5 from the northern part of South Korea to strategic facilities in Liaoning and Jilin provinces in China may be less than seven minutes, and conventional radar may not be able to lock onto its trajectory immediately.

Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of high-altitude infrared detection and space-based optical tracking systems to identify the launch source and orbital parameters as early as possible, providing a reaction window for the anti-missile system.

Regarding interception, it is advisable to accelerate the deployment of high-level anti-missile systems in the northeast and north China regions, achieving joint interception capabilities during mid-course and terminal phases.

Facing the high trajectory and high kinetic energy impact of the Hyunmu-5, relying solely on terminal defense may not be sufficient. It is necessary to conduct high-speed interception during the mid-course flight to reduce the probability of terminal penetration.

China can also carry out countermeasures against the deployment of the Hyunmu-5, establishing a strike chain to track the movements of South Korean missile forces around the clock, and conducting soft destruction or warning strikes when necessary before a crisis.

Furthermore, China has explicitly warned South Korea that if the Hyunmu-5 is deployed with clear configuration for striking China, China will not sit idly by.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7563515753798976050/

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