First Hypersonic Missile Launch Observed: "A New Deterrent"

[Anchor]

Amid North Korea's subsequent provocations following the landmine explosion incident, President Lee Jae-myung observed the first test-launch of South Korea's hypersonic missile. The Blue House assessed that preparations to actively secure a new deterrent in the battlefield environment of the Korean Peninsula have been completed.

Today (October 9), reporter Kang Min-u has our first report.

[Reporter]

Yesterday afternoon (October 8), President Lee Jae-myung visited the test site of the Agency for Defense Development and observed the first test-launch of a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), which is being researched and developed with homegrown technology.

["3, 2, 1, launch!"]

The glide vehicle accurately struck the designated target point.

President Lee encouraged the researchers and said,

[President Lee Jae-myung: "Thanks to your hard work, our national defense capabilities will likely improve significantly."]

"We must further advance the HGV so that it can establish itself as a strategic asset to protect our security," he said, calling for its swift development and deployment.

President Lee also inspected the South Korean military's high-power missile, the Hyunmoo-5, emphasizing self-reliant defense capabilities.

An HGV is a missile that uses a booster to ascend to the upper atmosphere before detaching and gliding at a low altitude to strike targets with an unpredictable flight trajectory and overwhelming speed, which the Blue House explained is "a key strategic asset that can change the game on the battlefield by preemptively neutralizing key strategic targets in contingencies."

President Lee's observation of the test-launch is interpreted as a countermeasure against the North Korean landmine explosion incident in the Demilitarized Zone and North Korea's recent series of missile launches.

President Lee first mentioned hypersonic missiles on September 29, following the landmine explosion incident, and

[President Lee Jae-myung (Cabinet Meeting, September 29): "We must further accelerate the modernization of missile technology, including hypersonic missiles, and the construction of nuclear-powered submarines, which are key to self-reliant defense."]

On October 1, a demonstration of cutting-edge weapon systems possessed by the South Korean military was reviewed at the National Security Council (NSC).

While the Blue House did not directly mention North Korea, it assessed that "preparations to actively secure a new deterrent in the battlefield environment of the Korean Peninsula have been completed."

Video by Jeong Sang-bo and Ha Ryung | Video Editing by Lee So-young | Design by Cho SOOIN
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.