South Korea conducted a test flight of its first domestically produced hypersonic weapon on Thursday. This weapon is designed to fly at a speed of at least five times that of sound and to evade missile defense systems, bringing Seoul one step closer to what it describes as a weapon capability that could have a “game-changing” impact.
The North Korean side has not responded immediately yet. Last week, North Korea test-fired its hypersonic missile, which fell into the waters near Japan.
According to a statement, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung attended this test and stated that it represents a significant step in enhancing the country's conventional defense capabilities. The statement did not provide details about the location of the test.
It is stated that this weapon separates from the booster rocket at a predetermined altitude, then descends with maneuvering in both vertical and horizontal directions, and hits a test target. The statement also says that once developed, this weapon will be capable of striking key targets unexpectedly in the "Korean Peninsula theater of operations."
Lee Jae-myung emphasized that South Korea "must ensure its own security through its own efforts." The South Korean President's Office stated that he also inspected the country's most powerful Hwaseong-5 ballistic missile on Thursday. The office did not mention any direct comments Lee Jae-myung made regarding North Korea.
In recent weeks, tensions between North and South Korea have intensified. Last month, three South Korean soldiers were injured in a mine explosion in an area near the heavily guarded border between the two countries.
The South Korean military and the United Nations Command, led by the United States, have determined that these explosions were caused by devices planted by North Korea. North Korea denies responsibility for them and mocks South Korea's demand for an apology.
North Korea has also increased its weapons testing activities. Its leader, Kim Jong-un, is expanding its military and nuclear program, while taking an increasingly tough stance towards Seoul.
Kim Jong-un has so far rejected calls from U.S. President Donald Trump to reinitiate diplomatic relations between the two sides. Diplomatic ties between the two countries broke down in 2019, with the North Korean government demanding that Washington abandon its "hostile" policies towards Pyongyang and that it first cease its demands for North Korea to denuclearize before any negotiations can take place.
The tense situation represents a setback for Lee Jae-myeong. Lee Jae-myeong tends to engage with North Korea, and even as public anger surged over landmine explosions, he continued to soften his rhetoric towards North Korea.
Lee Jae-myeong also called for strengthening South Korea's conventional defense capabilities while reducing dependence on the United States. In August, the United States unilaterally decided to reduce a major military exercise with South Korea, and at that time, Trump mentioned his "very good relationship" with Kim Jong-un.
In the most recent weapons test on October 3, North Korea launched what it claimed to be a hypersonic medium-range missile, stating that it flew over 1,000 kilometers (621 miles). Japan stated that the missile fell into waters outside its exclusive economic zone.
South Korea claims to have detected that the missile flew for more than 700 kilometers (435 miles), while Japan's Ministry of Defense estimates its flight distance to be about 680 kilometers (422 miles).
North Korea's powerful leader's sister, Kim Yujong, stated that the different estimates of flight distances provided by these two U.S. allies indicate that they are unable to accurately track such missiles during their flight, and therefore cannot intercept them either.
