Korea’s New Missile Defense System: Protecting Against North Korean Threats – Part 1

In response to the growing threat of North Korea’s various ballistic missiles, military authorities plan to build the “Korea Air and Missile Defense” (KAMD) within four years.

To accomplish this, the plan is to expedite the deployment of intermediate-range interception weapons needed for lower and upper-tier defense from the expected initial 2030s to 2028. The development and deployment of the “Korean-style Iron Dome,” a long-range artillery interception system, is also expected to be completed within this period, further enhancing the KAMD’s capabilities.

According to the mid-term defense blueprint for 2024-2028, medium-range surface-to-air missile (M-SAM-Ⅱ·Cheongung-Ⅱ) and long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM), which have significantly improved range and interception rates, will be operationally deployed by 2028. Originally expected to be deployed in the 2030s, the development and operational deployment of the M-SAM-Ⅱ and L-SAM have been fast-tracked to 2028 to accelerate the construction of the KAMD.

Korean Patriot “Cheongung-Ⅱ” is key to lower-tier defense

North Korean weapons threatening the metropolitan area of South Korea are not limited to long-range artillery. North Korea possesses a large number of short and medium-range missiles capable of striking Seoul. North Korea’s new short-range and medium-range missiles are known to have the power of tactical nuclear weapons. To defend the metropolitan area, including Seoul, a complex multilayer defense system, including the THAAD and Patriot developed by the United States and the M-SAM-Ⅱ (Cheongung-Ⅱ), L-SAM, and the Korean-style Iron Dome developed by Korea, must be fully operational. The more, the better it is for protecting the metropolitan area and core facilities.

The KAMD is divided into lower and upper tiers to build a defense system. The M-SAM-Ⅱ, known as the “Korean-style Patriot,” is the core force of the lower-tier defense system that intercepts North Korean missiles at 30-40 km (18.6-24.9 miles). It is an improved version of the M-SAM-Ⅰ. The already operationally deployed M-SAM-Ⅰ (altitude below 20km/12.4 miles) is responsible for lower altitudes. Along with these weapons, the Patriot (PAC-2/PAC-3·altitude 40 km/24.9 miles or below) is also in charge of lower-tier defense.

There is also the M-SAM-Ⅲ (altitude above 40 km/24.9 miles), which is currently under development to cover the middle area between the lower and upper tiers. The M-SAM-Ⅲ is an improved guided weapon with enhanced interception performance and engagement capabilities to respond to North Korean missiles effectively. It will be developed by 2034 with an investment of approximately 2.83 trillion won (approx. $2.1 billion).

The upper-tier defense forces include the already deployed L-SAM (altitude 50-60 km/31-37.3 miles), known as the “Korean-style THAAD,” and the L-SAM-Ⅱ (altitude 60-150 km/37.3-93.2 miles) currently under development. The L-SAM is expected to play a significant role in dropping North Korean missiles flying below the THAAD interception range.

The core of the L-SAM-Ⅱ is a high-altitude intercept-guided missile with a higher interception altitude than the existing L-SAM and a glide-phase intercept-guided missile that can intercept aerodynamic flight missiles at long range. The L-SAM-Ⅱ, which can strike North Korean missiles at the same interception altitude as the THAAD deployed by the United States Forces Korea (USFK), will be developed by 2035 with an investment of approximately 2.71 trillion won (approx. $2.1 billion).

After additional test firings and evaluations, the military plans to complete the development of the L-SAM system by the end of this year and start mass production in 2026. The actual deployment is expected to be between 2027 and 2028. As the threat of North Korean missiles grows, the actual deployment timing could increase.

The military authorities plan to establish an “L-SAM Operation Unit” in the  Air Defense Missile Command as early as 2027 when actual deployment occurs. The plan is to create a separate L-SAM operation unit, like the THAAD base of the USFK in Seongju, Gyeongsanbuk-do, and build a complex and multilayered defense system in conjunction with the lower-tier defense forces.

To Read Part 2…
To Read Part 3…