국방과학연구소 창설 50주년: 정경두 장관, “세계 최대수준 탄두중량 미사일 개발 성공”

Seoul's defense chief has vowed speedy development of next-generation weapons... including hypersonic missiles and stealth unmanned aerial vehicles... to promote peace on the Korean peninsula.
Marking 50 years of the establishment of the Agency of Defense Development, the press was given a rare peek at its latest weapons development program.
Kim Jiyeon reports.
In an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Agency for Defense Development, Seoul's defense minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said the military will speed up the development of hypersonic missiles and unmanned stealth aircraft.
It's the first time the defense minister has publicly stated that the country has been developing the next-generation hypersonic missiles.
During the event held in Daejeon on Wednesday, Jeong stated the military has successfully developed ballistic missiles that can carry the world's heaviest payloads to a sufficiently far range.
He believes the move will boost the military's ability to maintain peace on the Korean peninsula.
Local media outlets say that Jeong is referring to the country's Hyunmoo-four ballistic missile... believed to be able to fly 800 kilometers while carrying a payload of up to 2 tons.
In light of the 50th anniversary, the agency has invited the local press to see its plans for developing state-of-the-art weapons.
These include ultra-small satellites equipped with Synthetic Aperture Radar technology... that would allow the military to monitor North Korea and other neighboring countries' military activities in near real-time.
"When using 32 of these satellites at once, the military will be able to monitor a location or target every 30 minutes day or night. And since it's ultra-small, many satellites can be launched at once."
Other key research initiatives include those on anti-drone technology and cures for COVID-19.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.