Update: South Korea conducts first test launch of indigenous HGV

South Korea launches its indigenously developed hypersonic glide vehicle during its first test flight on 8 October 2026. (Office of the President of the Republic of Korea)

South Korea has conducted the first test launch of an indigenously developed hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), taking a step towards deploying a new manoeuvrable strike capability.

President Lee Jae Myung observed the HGV test on 8 October, the South Korean presidential office said in a statement. The office said the test was an important step towards acquiring a new capability to strike targets within the Korean Peninsula.

Test details

The HGV is a “core strategic asset capable of changing the course of the battlefield by using an unpredictable flight trajectory and overwhelming speed to carry out surprise strikes against key strategic targets in an emergency”, the office said.

It did not disclose the HGV's speed, range, dimensions, development schedule, or planned entry-into-service date. The office also did not disclose the location of the launch.

However, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported that the HGV was launched from a barge at a test centre in Taean, about 130 km south of Seoul, run by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD). Although not confirmed, this is likely the ADD's Anheung Test Centre.

The presidential office said that during the test the HGV ascended to its planned altitude before separating from its booster. The vehicle then descended to a lower altitude, manoeuvred vertically and horizontally, and struck its designated target.

It said the test was intended to evaluate the performance of the HGV's high-temperature-resistant materials, its guidance and control systems, and its ability to conduct irregular low-altitude flight in a hypersonic environment.