국방과학연구소 창설 50주년: 정경두 장관, “세계 최대수준 탄두중량 미사일 개발 성공”<br /><br />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.<br />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.<br />Kim Jiyeon reports.<br />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.<br />It's the first time the defense minister has publicly stated that the country has been developing the next-generation hypersonic missiles.<br />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.<br />He believes the move will boost the military's ability to maintain peace on the Korean peninsula.<br />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.<br />In light of the 50th anniversary, the agency has invited the local press to see its plans for developing state-of-the-art weapons.<br />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.<br />"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."<br />Other key research initiatives include those on anti-drone technology and cures for COVID-19.<br />Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.<br />
