South Korea deploys ballistic missile with massive bunker-busting warhead

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.

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.