The Hyunmoo-5, also referred to as the “monster missile,” debuted on Armed Forces Day this year.
The Hyunmoo-5, carried on a 9-axle, 18-wheel transport erector launcher (TEL), features a cylindrical launch tube and unique mobility, including diagonal movement while maintaining the cab’s forward position. These capabilities attracted considerable attention during its unveiling.
At the core of its design is an 8-ton warhead, making it the world’s heaviest missile in terms of payload. This immense warhead enables the Hyunmoo-5 to penetrate bunkers up to 100 meters (328 feet) underground, effectively functioning as a tactical nuclear weapon. Military planners have highlighted its role in striking North Korean command centers and nuclear facilities, positioning it as the crown jewel of South Korea’s missile arsenal.
Regional Implications: Beyond the Korean Peninsula
While its range with an 8-ton warhead is limited to 300 kilometers (186 miles), reducing the payload to 1-2 tons could extend its reach to between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers (1,864 and 3,418 miles). This effectively transforms the Hyunmoo-5 into an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) capable of reaching key regions in Northeast Asia.
More so than North Korea, China has expressed alarm over the Hyunmoo-5’s capabilities. Chinese state media, including the Global Times and Sina.com, emphasized its potential to strike major cities like Beijing, Tianjin, and Shenyang. Analysts in China have linked the missile’s advanced features, including its cold-launch technology and large mobile platform, to long-range missile systems designed with targets beyond North Korea in mind.
Cold Launch Technology and Submarine Adaptability
By reducing its warhead weight, the Hyunmoo-5’s range can be extended from 600 kilometers (373 miles) to a maximum of 5,500 kilometers (3,418 miles). It maintains formidable bunker-busting capabilities even with a 1 to 2 kilograms warhead. For comparison, Israel recently used the BLU-109 bunker buster, with its 870 kilograms (1,925 pounds) warhead, to eliminate a Hezbollah leader in Lebanon. The BLU-109 penetrated the underground 18 meters (59 feet), destroying its target.
China’s concerns stem from the Hyunmoo-5’s advanced capabilities, which seem excessive for targeting North Korea alone. Chinese analysts suspect it was developed with China in mind, citing a 9-axle mobile launcher and cold-launch technology as evidence.
The cold-launch method, which uses high-pressure gas to eject the missile before ignition, is particularly interesting to China. This technology could potentially allow the Hyunmoo-5 to be adapted for submarine launch. A South Korean 3,000-ton submarine armed with such missiles could pose a significant threat to China from the depths of the Yellow Sea.
Most concerning to China is that the Hyunmoo-5 operates from a larger vehicle than China’s own DF-31 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). This suggests that South Korea possesses ICBM-level technology and destructive capability, representing a major shift in the regional balance of power.
A Step Toward a Collective Security Alliance?
Chinese military experts view South Korea’s unveiling of the Hyunmoo-5 as a pivotal moment, reflecting ambitions that go far beyond countering North Korean threats. They interpret the missile’s development as a bold assertion of South Korea’s growing military capabilities and strategic influence, aligned with its economic strength.
Some analysts suggest this could be a step toward South Korea joining a broader collective security arrangement with the U.S. and Japan to counter Chinese and Russian influence in the region.
Du Wenlong, a military analyst for China’s state-run CCTV and a former senior colonel in the People’s Liberation Army, highlighted the importance of a missile’s launch capabilities. He explained that using a 9-axle mobile launch vehicle for a large missile is typical for long-range systems. He noted that such a capability extends beyond merely deterring North Korea; it also has the potential to strike targets along China’s eastern coast and in Russia’s Far East.
Du also speculated that within the U.S. strategic framework, mid-range ballistic missiles like the Hyunmoo-5 could serve as a cornerstone for such an alliance, further elevating China’s concerns.
A Network of Allied Missile Systems
The U.S. is already advancing its missile deployment strategy in the region. Plans to station mid-range anti-ship ballistic missiles form a strategic arc linking Guam, Japan, and the Philippines. In April, the U.S. positioned a Typhoon missile battery in northern Luzon, Philippines, heightening Chinese anxieties about encirclement.
Should South Korea develop a Hyunmoo-5-based missile system aimed at China, it would threaten not only China’s coast but also its political and economic centers, including Beijing, Tianjin, and Shenyang. This prospect significantly elevates China’s strategic concerns.
Yoo Yong Won, a South Korean lawmaker, and former military journalist, explained that the Hyunmoo-5, typically classified as a short-range ballistic missile with a range under 1,000 kilometers (621 miles), could potentially extend its range to that of a medium-range ballistic missile which ranges between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometers (1,864 and 3,418 miles), by reducing its warhead weight. He added that with a standard 1-tonne (2,204 pounds) warhead, the Hyunmoo-5 could reach targets over 5,000 kilometers (3,106 miles) away.
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