Seoul takes aim at North Korea’s leadership bunkers with ‘monster missile’ Hyunmoo-5

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 2 min read 100% complete by The Korea TimesJanuary 18, 2026 at 08:38 AM

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South Korea has begun deploying its most powerful conventional ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5, to frontline units, with full operational deployment expected before 2030. The ground-to-ground missile, capable of carrying an eight-tonne warhead, is designed to target North Korea's underground facilities, including leadership bunkers. Publicly unveiled in 2024 and 2025, the Hyunmoo-5 is considered South Korea's most strategically significant missile due to its destructive potential and limited interception capabilities by North Korea. While analysts acknowledge its power, they caution against overstating its ability to neutralize the most hardened underground sites. The deployment underscores Seoul's efforts to strengthen deterrence against North Korea amid heightened regional security tensions.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

S-400 30% S-300 30% Russia 30% Pyongyang 40% Korea Defence Network 50% Lee Il-woo ×260% Hyunmoo-5 ×785% South Korea ×790% North Korea ×790%

Keywords

hyunmoo-5 100% north korea 90% ballistic missile 80% south korea 80% military deployment 70% underground facilities 70% strategic weapon 60% warhead 60% deterrence 60% missile interception 50%

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Neutral

Score: 0.10

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Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

South Korea

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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hyunmoo-5 north korea ballistic missile south korea military deployment underground facilities strategic weapon warhead deterrence missile interception

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