South Korea flight-tests its first domestically developed hypersonic weapon

South Korea flight-tested its first domestically developed hypersonic weapon on Thursday, according to President Lee Jae Myung's office. The weapon is designed to fly at least five times the speed of sound and evade missile defense systems. The test comes amid heightened tensions with North Korea, which last week tested its own hypersonic missile. President Lee attended the test and inspected the country's most powerful Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile. The weapon successfully separated from its booster rocket, maneuvered, and hit a test target. Once developed, it would be able to strike key targets by surprise in the Korean Peninsula theater of operations.

South Korea flight-tests its first domestically developed hypersonic weapon
Published Oct 8, 2026