South Korea Unveils ‘Monster Missile’ — Should Kim Jong Un Be Concerned?

South Korea is preparing to deploy its most powerful weapon yet—the Hyunmoo-5, nicknamed the “monster missile”—by the end of 2025. Weighing 36 tonnes and equipped with an 8-tonne bunker-buster warhead, the missile can strike deep underground targets, marking a major upgrade in Seoul’s defense capabilities amid rising tensions with North Korea. With a range between 600 and over 5,000 kilometers depending on payload, the Hyunmoo-5 is designed to hit fortified command centers and military installations. The development follows Pyongyang’s recent hypersonic missile tests, intensifying the arms race on the Korean peninsula. President Lee Jae Myung reaffirmed South Korea’s resolve and its strong alliance with the US, even as prospects for renewed US–North Korea diplomacy remain uncertain.