Cheongung-II, also known as the M-SAM-II, is a medium-range surface-to-air missile system designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles at lower altitudes during the terminal phase of flight.
The latest system was deployed to a missile defense battery in Gyeonggi Province in May and began full operational missions on Aug. 1 after completing simulated training reflecting the unit’s actual operating environment.
The South Korean military has progressively fielded Cheongung-II systems since 2020 as part of efforts to strengthen its defenses against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
The ministry said the expansion of units operating the system would further enhance the country’s lower-tier terminal missile defense capability.
South Korea plans to build a denser multilayered defense network by deploying the long-range surface-to-air missile system (L-SAM) in the late 2020s.
The L-SAM, South Korea’s first domestically developed upper-tier terminal defense system, is designed to intercept missiles at higher altitudes and protect a wider area using advanced precision-guidance technology.
Under the planned layered structure, the L-SAM would first attempt to intercept an incoming missile in the upper tier of the terminal phase. Patriot and Cheongung-II systems would then provide additional interception opportunities at lower altitudes.
The military is also developing next-generation interception systems based on technologies accumulated through its existing air and missile defense programs.
Projects currently under development include the M-SAM-III, which is expected to have improved engagement capabilities, and the L-SAM-II high-altitude interceptor, designed to cover an expanded defense area.
South Korea is also developing a long-range artillery interception system to counter North Korean artillery threats and is considering high-power laser weapons as another potential missile defense capability.
“We will deploy the remaining systems as scheduled and further strengthen the military’s missile response capabilities,” said Kim Ki-young, director general for force policy at the Defense Ministry.
“The military will continue building an overlapping, integrated and multilayered defense system capable of responding rapidly and accurately to increasingly sophisticated and diverse aerial threats by bringing together its advanced defense science and technology capabilities,” Kim said.
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