South Korea conducts first test launch of hypersonic glide vehicle

South Korea carried out its first test launch of a hypersonic glide vehicle on Thursday, a presidential spokesperson said, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said the test examined core technologies, including flight trajectory and speed, for a strategic weapon capable of making surprise precision strikes against enemy targets.

The vehicle separated successfully from its booster and followed its planned trajectory at hypersonic speed, Kang said. She described the launch as a milestone in preparations for a new deterrent capable of hitting critical targets across the Korean Peninsula.

The test also assessed heat-shielding materials designed for extreme temperatures, guidance and control systems, and the vehicle’s ability to maneuver unpredictably at low altitudes. President Lee Jae Myung, Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and other officials attended.

Hypersonic glide vehicle systems use a booster to accelerate and climb into the upper atmosphere. After separating, the vehicle glides at lower altitudes at hypersonic speeds.

The launch site was not officially disclosed. Yonhap reported that the test took place from a barge at a test center run by the Agency for Defense Development in Taean, about 130 kilometers south of Seoul.

Lee praised the development team and said national security should be safeguarded through the country’s own capabilities. The government would support the development and operational deployment of advanced weapons, Kang quoted him as saying.

Lee later inspected the military’s “Hyunmoo-5” surface-to-surface missile, which is nicknamed the “monster missile” because of its weight and destructive power. The government had not previously publicly identified the weapon by that name.

Yonhap reported the test was widely viewed as a response to a land mine explosion last month on South Korea’s side of the Military Demarcation Line, which severely injured two South Korean soldiers. Seoul accused Pyongyang of deliberately planting two mines in the Demilitarized Zone; North Korea denied the accusation and called it “blame shifting.”

North Korea on Saturday also test-fired an intermediate-range strategic missile off its east coast. The missile was described as capable of altering its flight path at low altitude and using artificial intelligence during a firing drill.