South Korea deploys "tunnel-busting monster" missile in combat.

South Korea is believed to have begun deploying the Hyunmoo-5 surface-to-surface ballistic missile to its combat units. This weapon, dubbed the "monster missile," has an 8-ton warhead.

This system is tasked with enhancing responses to nuclear and missile threats, including the ability to detect and preemptively strike enemy missile launchers.

South Korea's Hyunmoo-5 surface-to-surface ballistic missile is displayed during the 76th Armed Forces Day celebrations at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, South Korea, on October 1, 2024. Photo: Yonhap/EPA

According to military sources, the deployment of the Hyunmoo-5 missile began in late 2025, and the process of bringing this missile into a state of combat readiness is expected to be completed during President Lee Jae-Myung's administration.

The Hyunmoo-5 missile is designed to destroy fortified underground command centers and is a key component of South Korea's large-scale Punishment and Retaliation System (KMPR), one of the three pillars of the "Korean Triangle System" along with the Kill Chain and the Korean Air and Missile Defense System (KAMD).

Experts say the South Korean military is also developing next-generation missile systems with longer range or greater penetration capabilities, unofficially known as Hyunmoo-6 and Hyunmoo-7.

However, the country's military authorities have not confirmed these names, due to the classified nature of the program.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu Baek said that many missile experts believe that using 15-20 high-powered missiles could create destructive power equivalent to, or even surpass, that of a nuclear explosion.

This allows the Hyunmoo-5 to serve as a non-nuclear strategic deterrent. In addition, South Korea will continue to improve the destructive power, accuracy, and number of its high-powered missiles to maintain its strategic deterrence capabilities.

Tunnel-penetrating missiles like the Hyunmoo have high destructive power, concentrating explosive force on penetration capabilities to neutralize highly defensive structures such as steel bars, reinforced concrete, and rock.

The documents indicate that South Korea plans to deploy multiple Hyunmoo-5 missiles to create explosives of nuclear-scale power.

In particular, experts have noted that the high-explosive Hyunmoo missile has “increased its actual explosive power relative to its warhead weight by approximately 30 to 50%” through the development of different warhead materials and shapes.

Specifically, an explosive force of 11 tons was achieved with a warhead weight of 8 tons. Alex Wellerstein's NUKEMAP software uses the same calculation method to convert explosive power to TNT weight, and can also be used to calculate the damage area of a non-nuclear weapon explosion, excluding damage from fallout and nuclear radiation.

The South Korean military is planning to acquire hundreds of high-powered missiles, including the Hyunmoo-5 and next-generation missiles, to enhance its ability to counter external threats.

Naval News (See source link)

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/han-quoc-dua-ten-lua-quai-vat-pha-ham-vao-thuc-chien-post2149084220.html