South Korea deploys new guided missile system.

According to Yonhap, on December 16, South Korean officials announced that the country had deployed new advanced guided missiles capable of striking North Korean long-range artillery positions hidden in caves.

South Korea's Tactical Air-to-Surface Missile System (KTSSM), also known as the "long-range artillery killer," has been under development since North Korea's 2010 shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, which killed two South Korean workers and two marines.

According to South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), a ceremony marking the system's deployment was held at the Army's Strategic Missile Command in Wonju, about 85 kilometers east of Seoul.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration said this advanced missile is expected to enhance the military's combat capabilities and bolster South Korea's key deterrence system.

Previously, in June 2025, the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration also successfully tested the separation of a domestically produced and under-development long-range air-to-ground guided missile.

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the test, conducted at an Air Force unit on June 23, aimed to verify whether the missile could separate from the aircraft without compromising its safety and functionality.

This latest test marks a significant milestone in the project. South Korea expects the guided missile to be exported along with the KF-21 fighter jet to boost arms exports.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration added that it plans to conduct various missile tests using the FA-50 test aircraft before evaluating the missile on the KF-21 prototype, starting in 2027.

Since 2018, South Korea has sought to develop long-range guided missiles to equip its KF-21 fighter jets in order to enhance its defense capabilities.

On November 27, the Korea Aerospace Agency (KASA) announced the successful launch of the domestically produced Nuri space rocket.

The rocket was launched from the Naro Space Centre, and the lead satellite, one of the 13 deployed, established contact with the King Sejong Space Station in Antarctica.

On social media, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called this "a moment that opens a new chapter" in South Korea's history of space exploration .

The Korea Aerospace Agency and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said the 200-ton Nuri rocket, launched at 1:13 a.m. local time from the Naro launch center in the coastal village of Goheung, Jeolla Nam Province, was later than scheduled at 0:55 a.m. due to a sensor malfunction.

The CAS500-3 main satellite established contact with a South Korean research center in Antarctica at 1:55 a.m., allowing experts to check the satellite's technical condition.

The CAS500-3 satellite, manufactured by Korea Aerospace Industries, is a medium-sized satellite developed using standard platform technology from the original CAS500 model.

This satellite will conduct observations of the aurora borealis and the Earth's upper atmosphere, and will also be used in various experiments, including verifying stem cell cultures using 3D bioprinting technology.

The main satellite was tasked with conducting space science research, including measuring magnetic fields and space plasma, as well as observing the aurora borealis. The flight ended at 1:31 a.m., lasting 18 minutes before the rocket re-entered the atmosphere and disintegrated.

A notable aspect of this fourth launch is that Hanwha Aerospace was responsible for the entire assembly process for the first time. This is part of the South Korean government 's long-term roadmap to transfer space capabilities to the private sector.

South Korea plans to conduct its fifth launch in 2026 and its sixth launch in 2027.

According to Minister of Science, Technology and Information Communications Bae Kyung Hoon, this marks a significant turning point as the focus of the space ecosystem has shifted from a government-led approach to the private sector.

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