Seoul to test ballistic missile comparable to nuclear weapon

The South Korean army announced that it will test-fire a new ballistic missile.

According to Yonhap news agency, the state-run agency for defence development is scheduled to conduct the test of the missile, known as Hyunmoo-5, at its Anheung test site.

The statement added that the missile, known as Hyunmoo-5, can produce a force similar to nuclear weapons if several missiles are launched from it at the same time, and it can also hit targets in tunnels and bunkers at a depth of more than 100 meters underground.

It’s worth noting that the missile “will have unprecedented high power among conventional missiles,” thus a navigational warning has been issued for areas spanning from the test site to waters some 300 km away for Friday and Saturday.

The missile is known to be capable of carrying a warhead weighing 8-9 kilograms with a thrust of 75 ton-force, and of descending at a speed of Mach 10 after reaching an apogee. It was designed to provide force comparable to nuclear weapons, as South Korea does not possess any nuclear weapons.

This missile test is expected to enhance the capabilities of the South Korean three-pronged system in response to North Korea’s nuclear and missile weapons development.