Military Watch Magazine

South Korea Launches First Hypersonic Glide Vehicle Five Years Behind the North

South Korea has conducted the first test launch of an indigenously developed hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), with President Lee Jae Myung observing the trial before inspecting the country’s Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile. The October 8 test was intended to verify key technologies required for a manoeuvrable hypersonic weapon, including high-temperature protection, guidance and control, and the ability to change trajectory at low altitude. The announcement comes amid heightened tensions with North Korea, which first flew its own hypersonic glide vehicle over five years earlier in September 2021. The northern Korean People’s Army has since brought multiple types of missiles with such vehicles into service, leaving adversaries scrambling to rapidly develop similar capabilities.