The security threats surrounding the Korean Peninsula continue into the new year of 2025. North Korea resumed missile provocations on the 6th of this month by launching a medium-range ballistic missile into the East Sea, marking a two-month gap. Additionally, on the 14th and 25th, it fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, respectively. Amid chaotic domestic and international circumstances, interest in our military's defense posture is growing as tensions rise in the international community. This highlights the Korean-style three-axis system, which is a core concept of defense power to counter North Korean threats. [Editor's note]
The second axis of the Korean-style three-axis system, known as the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD), focuses on interception. The goal is to detect missiles coming from North Korea and launch interceptor missiles to explode them mid-flight. Our military is operating multiple weapons systems simultaneously that respond to various altitudes, including short-range, medium-range, and long-range, thereby implementing multi-layered defense. This aims to secure more interception opportunities through a tightly woven defensive net.
The core of our military's long-range and high-altitude air defense system is the L-SAM (Long-range Surface to Air Missile), nicknamed 'Korean THAAD'. Approximately 1.2 trillion won was invested in the development of L-SAM, which was developed with purely domestic technology from 2015 until November of last year. Production was decided this year, and it will be deployed in the military from 2027. L-SAM will intercept missiles at altitudes of 40 to 60 kilometers, along with the THAAD operated by U.S. Forces Korea, establishing a high-altitude defense network.
L-SAM launches interceptor missiles after receiving information about enemy ballistic missiles or aircraft from the KAMD operation center (KAMDOC) or the Joint Air Defense Control Center (MCRC). The launched missile travels near the target flight object and removes a forward cover that wraps around the infrared seeker through separation. The seeker detects the faint heat signals coming from the target, and the missile generates thrust from ten valves on the side to precisely maneuver toward the target, ultimately intercepting the target directly.
Recently, our military has also begun the development of the L-SAM II system, which increases the interception altitude to over 100 kilometers. Approximately 567.7 billion won will be invested in the development of L-SAM II by 2028, with a total of 19 companies participating, including LIG Nex1, Hanwha Aerospace, and Hanwha System.
Our military's medium-range and mid-altitude air defense system is managed by the M-SAM (Medium-range Surface to Air Missile), known as 'Cheongung'. Cheongung was developed from 2006 to 2011 as a medium-range surface-to-air guided weapon to replace the HAWK missile used in the 1900s. At the time of the Cheongung project, the only countries possessing medium and long-range surface-to-air guided weapon technology were the United States, Russia, France, Japan, and Israel, but South Korea successfully developed it with domestic technology.
After enhancements in the latter half of the 2010s, Cheongung-Ⅱ was operationally deployed starting in 2020. The specifications of Cheongung-Ⅱ, known as the 'Korean Patriot', are a length of 4.61 meters, a weight of 400 kilograms, a diameter of 27.5 centimeters, with a maximum range of 40 to 50 kilometers and an effective altitude of 15 to 20 kilometers. Its maximum speed is reported to reach Mach 4.5 (5,500 kilometers per hour).
Cheongung-Ⅱ can be equipped with a maximum of eight interceptor missiles per launch unit, enabling continuous launches. It employs a 'cold launch' method, which uses gas pressure to launch the missile vertically over 10 meters before igniting it in the air, allowing for directional adjustments after launch. Cheongung-Ⅱ has also been exported to three Middle Eastern countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Iraq, gaining recognition for its technological capabilities.
In the short-range and low-altitude space below 10 kilometers, a long-range artillery intercept system (LAMD), dubbed the 'Korean Iron Dome', is expected to be operational. The development of LAMD is scheduled between 2022 and 2033, with a total project cost of approximately 2.9494 trillion won to specialize in defending against North Korea's long-range artillery.
Long-range artillery refers to weapons that can fire projectiles over a long distance. North Korea possesses not only missiles but also numerous long-range artillery pieces, which can utilize hundreds of guns with a maximum range of 400 kilometers to launch up to 16,000 rounds at key military facilities in the capital region within an hour. LAMD can carry 32 interceptor missiles on a single launch unit, and since six launch units form a single battery, it can launch 192 rounds simultaneously. Its interception altitude is within 5 kilometers, and the maximum range is known to be around 7 kilometers.