South Korea tests homegrown hypersonic weapon, office says

South Korea test-fired its first homegrown hypersonic weapon on Thursday, the presidential office said, days after North Korea said it had launched an AI-assisted intermediate-range hypersonic missile.

The Blue House said President Lee Jae Myung observed the first test launch of a hypersonic glide vehicle under research and development using domestic technology.

Hypersonic glide vehicles are sent into the upper atmosphere by rocket boosters or ballistic missiles, then glide toward targets at five times the speed of sound or faster.

The Blue House described the weapon as a “key strategic asset” and said its speed and unpredictable trajectory could enable strikes on strategic targets. It said the test was meant to verify heat-resistant materials, guidance and control capabilities, and the ability to fly irregularly at low altitude under hypersonic conditions.

South Korea said the vehicle descended to low altitude after separation, changed its trajectory vertically and horizontally, and accurately struck its designated target. The presidential office said the weapon offered a new deterrence capability for striking key targets within the Korean Peninsula's operational environment.

Hong Sung-pyo, a senior researcher at the Seoul-based Korea Institute for Military Affairs, told AFP that South Korea had devoted considerable effort to the technology and “can be said to have achieved a successful test this time”.

North Korea said its Saturday launch used AI and that its missile could change its flight path at low altitude. Pyongyang claimed there was “no way to avoid” the missile and said its trajectory left South Korea and Japan unable to track it effectively.

Seoul and Washington said the North Korean missile could be detected and intercepted using allied defensive assets.