South Korea tested a hypersonic weapon for the first time amid deteriorating relations with North Korea
Kyiv • UNN
Seoul conducted the first test of an HGV capable of maneuvering at low altitudes and striking targets precisely. The launch took place after a mine exploded at the border.
South Korea conducted the first test of a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), which is capable of carrying out high-precision strikes against targets. The launch took place amid growing tensions in relations with North Korea. Yonhap reported this, writes UNN.
Details
South Korea conducted the first test launch of a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) on Thursday, the presidential office of Cheong Wa Dae said. It was apparently a show of force directed at North Korea amid heightened inter-Korean tensions following a recent mine explosion at the border.
The test was conducted to verify key hypersonic technologies, including flight trajectory and speed, as a strategic asset capable of delivering sudden, high-precision strikes against enemy targets, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jun said in a written statement to the press.
President Lee Jae-myung personally observed the launch, accompanied by Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and other officials.
An HGV is a missile system that uses a booster to build up speed and climb into the upper layers of the atmosphere, after which it separates from the booster and glides at lower altitudes at hypersonic speeds.
Lee’s office did not disclose the location of the test, but reports said the launch took place from a barge at the Agency for Defense Development’s test center in Taean, approximately 130 kilometers south of Seoul.
According to Kang, the launch tested heat-shield materials designed to withstand extremely high temperatures, guidance and control systems, as well as the vehicle’s ability to perform irregular maneuvers at low altitudes.
Unlike traditional ballistic missiles, after separation the HGV lowered its flight altitude, made horizontal and vertical course corrections, and precisely hit the target, she said.
Update
The unannounced launch on Thursday is widely viewed as a response to the September 21 mine explosion on the South Korean side of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), which seriously injured two South Korean servicemen. Seoul determined that the explosion was caused by mines planted by North Korean military personnel in violation of the armistice agreement.
Tensions rose after the explosion: Pyongyang categorically denied responsibility and threatened retaliation if the South took any measures in response.
The government of Lee Jae-myung, which seeks rapprochement with Pyongyang, came under criticism for its passive response to the mine explosion.
Critics accused Lee and his officials of taking an excessively soft stance in order not to provoke the North.
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