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South Korea deploys ballistic missile with massive bunker-busting warhead

Hyunmoo-5 stands out for its heavy conventional warhead estimated to weigh between eight and nine tonnes

3 min read
Updated On: Jan 20 2026 | 6:17 PM IST
Martand Mishra
The Hyunmoo, surface-to-surface missile (Photo: Reuters)

The Hyunmoo, surface-to-surface missile (Photo: Reuters)

In a major push in its efforts to counter North Korea’s underground military infrastructure, South Korea has deployed Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile, which is specifically designed to destroy deeply buried and hardened targets amid growing threats from Pyongyang, according to the US-based web publication The War Zone (TWZ).
 
It is said to be an intermediate-range ballistic missile, which carries a large bunker-buster warhead.
 
The system was first publicly revealed during South Korea’s Armed Forces Day parade in October 2024, where it immediately drew attention for its size. The recent reports indicate that the missile is now being inducted into operational units, signalling that it has completed its prototype and testing phase.
 
Unlike other conventional armed ballistic missiles, which carry warheads weighing under one tonne, Hyunmoo-5 stands out for its heavy conventional warhead estimated to weigh between eight and nine tonnes.

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Anonymous military sources said the Hyunmoo-5 missile began to be fielded in late 2025. A South Korean Ministry of National Defence official said that the military was “pushing ahead with the integration of the Hyunmoo-5,” with full operational deployment expected before 2030. It remains unclear how many missiles will ultimately be inducted, TWZ reported, citing Seoul-based English daily The Korea Herald.
 
The newspaper referred to the deployment of “several hundred high-power missiles”, including other newly developed missile systems in addition to Hyunmoo-5.
 
Built to destroy underground targets
 
The missile is not designed for wide-area destruction, but for a specific task- hitting deeply buried bunkers, command centres, missile silos and underground weapons storage sites.
 
Some analysts believe that a large part of the warhead’s weight comes from dense metal penetrators rather than explosives, to punch through layers of soil and reinforced concrete before detonating, TWZ said.
 
At the high speeds achieved by a ballistic missile, the combination of mass and velocity gives the weapon enormous kinetic energy. This allows it to damage or collapse underground structures that would otherwise be difficult to reach using air-dropped bombs or cruise missiles.
 
Range and mobility
 
With its full-weight bunker-buster warhead, the missile is believed to have a range of 300 kilometres in 2001 as part of the ballistic missiles treaty agreed between South Korea and the United States in 1979. The limit was increased to 800 kilometres in 2021, allowing targets across North Korea when launched from South Korean territory.
 
The missile is carried on a large road-mobile transporter-erector-launcher, giving it the ability to move between locations and fire from dispersed positions, which improves survivability and reduces the risk of the system being destroyed before launch.
 
The missile is powered by a solid-fuel rocket motor, allowing for faster launch readiness compared to liquid-fuel systems, making storage and handling easier.
 
The Hyunmoo-5 is said to be part of the ballistic missile arsenal, as the country does not possess nuclear weapons and is aimed at deterring North Korea without relying on nuclear weapons.
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Written By :

Martand Mishra

Martand Mishra has started his reporting career with defence coverage. He is a graduate of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. He enjoys reading books on defence, history and biographies.
First Published: Jan 20 2026 | 6:17 PM IST

In this article : South Korea

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