[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung observed the first test launch of a hypersonic missile currently under development by South Korea. The move is viewed as a countermeasure following a landmine explosion incident in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and North Korea's recent series of missile launches.

Reporter Kang Min-u reports.

[Reporter]

President Lee Jae-myung visited a test site of the Agency for Defense Development yesterday (October 8) afternoon to observe the first test launch of a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) being developed with indigenous technology.

[3, 2, 1, launch!]

The glide vehicle accurately struck the designated target.

President Lee encouraged the researchers, saying:

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

"We must further advance HGVs so they can be established as strategic assets that safeguard our national security," he stated, calling for their swift development and deployment.

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

An HGV uses a booster rocket to ascend to the upper atmosphere before separating and gliding at low altitudes to strike targets with an unpredictable flight trajectory and overwhelming speed. Cheong Wa Dae explained that it is "a core strategic asset that can change the game on the battlefield by launching surprise strikes against key strategic targets in times of emergency."

President Lee's observation of the test launch is interpreted as a countermeasure in response to the North Korean landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone and North Korea's recent barrage of missile launches.

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

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

On October 1, the National Security Council (NSC) reviewed demonstrations of advanced weapon systems possessed by the South Korean military.

Although Cheong Wa Dae did not directly mention North Korea, it assessed that "preparations have been completed to secure in earnest a new means of deterrence within the battlefield environment of the Korean Peninsula."

(Video by Jung Sang-bo and Ha Ryung | Video Editing by Lee So-young | Design by Cho Soo-in)