South Korea has begun deploying its most powerful conventional ballistic missile, the Hyunmoo-5 — dubbed the “monster missile” for its massive warhead — to frontline units, military officials said Sunday, a move that underscores Seoul’s effort to strengthen deterrence against North Korea.
The ground-to-ground missile, capable of carrying a warhead of up to eight tons, began entering frontline units late last year and is expected to complete full operational deployment before the current administration leaves office in 2030, according to military officials. It is considered South Korea’s most powerful weapon to date.
The Hyunmoo-5 is designed to target deeply buried underground facilities, including command bunkers believed to be used by North Korea’s leadership and strategic forces. It was publicly unveiled during South Korea’s Armed Forces Day events in 2024 and 2025, drawing attention for its size and destructive potential amid heightened regional security tensions.
Despite the missile’s power, analysts caution against overstating its ability to neutralize North Korea’s most hardened underground sites.
Lee Il-woo, director of the Korea Defense Network, said the Hyunmoo-5 represents the most strategically significant missile ever deployed in South Korea’s Hyunmoo series, but faces physical limitations.
“The Hyunmoo-5 carries an extremely high-yield conventional warhead, and by reducing payload it could theoretically extend its range to around 3,000 kilometers, with some even comparing it to an intercontinental-class missile,” Lee said. “In terms of sheer power and strategic signaling, it is the strongest missile South Korea has fielded.”
From North Korea’s perspective, Lee said the missile poses a serious threat, particularly because Pyongyang’s missile interception capabilities remain limited. “The likelihood of North Korea successfully intercepting the Hyunmoo-5 appears very low,” he said, citing the mixed real-world performance of Russian-made S-300 and S-400 air defense systems, which are similar to those operated by North Korea.
However, Lee said the missile’s effectiveness against North Korea’s deeply buried facilities should be viewed more cautiously. Many of Pyongyang’s key underground installations are located more than 100 meters below ground, often beneath granite bedrock common on the Korean Peninsula.
“Even the most advanced conventional bunker-buster weapons struggle in granite terrain,” Lee said. He pointed to U.S. use of the GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrator, which is estimated to penetrate around 60 meters in softer rock such as sandstone, yet has still failed to completely neutralize underground facilities in Iran. “North Korea’s facilities are deeper — often 100 to 150 meters — and built under much harder geological conditions.”
“As a result, it is unrealistic to say that conventional weapons alone, including the Hyunmoo-5, can fully destroy those facilities. Without nuclear weapons, complete penetration is not feasible,” Lee added.
South Korea’s military has promoted the Hyunmoo-5 as a central element of the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation, or KMPR, doctrine — one of three pillars of the country’s deterrence strategy against North Korea, alongside the Kill Chain preemptive strike concept and the Korea Air and Missile Defense system.
Defense officials have said the missile is intended not only for physical destruction but also for deterrence, by demonstrating South Korea’s ability to inflict severe damage on strategic targets if attacked.
South Korea is also developing next-generation high-powered missile systems, informally known as the Hyunmoo-6 and Hyunmoo-7, which are believed to have longer ranges or improved penetration capabilities.
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