Missile Hyunmoo-5

The Hyunmoo-5 (also written Hyunmoo-V) is a South Korean surface-to-surface ballistic missile of the Hyunmoo family, classified as an intermediate-range ballistic missile. It was developed as a bunker-buster to strike underground shafts and deeply buried facilities of the North Korean military. A missile of this class was not permitted under the South Korea Ballistic Missile Range Guidelines until they were abolished in 2021. The transporter erector launcher was first shown on 1 October 2024 at the 76th anniversary Armed Forces Day ceremony. Only the launch canister and vehicle were displayed, not the missile itself.

The Hyunmoo-5 uses solid-fuel propulsion and is believed to have a two-stage motor. Data released through the South Korean National Defense Committee indicate that the missile's launch mass is equal to that of the U.S. LGM-30 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile is carried in a cylindrical canister on the nine-axle K901 transporter erector launcher. It uses a cold-launch method, igniting after it is ejected from the tube.

The Hyunmoo-5 carries a conventional warhead. That warhead is far heavier than other modern conventional ballistic missile warheads, which generally weigh less than one ton. No other non-nuclear ballistic missile is known to carry a warhead of comparable mass. The warhead probably uses a heavy dense-metal penetrator or tandem charges to defeat deeply buried bunkers. It is reported to be able to destroy structures more than 100 meters below the surface. A lighter alternative warhead would extend the missile's reach beyond that achieved with the standard heavy payload.

The Hyunmoo-5 is operated by South Korea and forms part of the country's three-axis deterrence posture against North Korean nuclear and missile threats. Deployment to field units began late in 2025, and military sources confirmed on 18 January 2026 that the missile was being delivered to operational units. Full operational deployment is expected to be completed during the Lee Jae-myung administration. On 8 October 2026, following a hypersonic glide vehicle test, President Lee Jae-myung inspected the system, and the government used the name Hyunmoo-5 in an official press statement for the first time, having previously called it a "high-power missile."