Yoon Administration's First Armed Forces Day Ceremony Held at Gyeryongdae in 6 Years... First Reveal of Monster Missile Video

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The first Armed Forces Day commemoration event under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration was held at Gyeryongdae, the "heart of the Armed Forces," for the first time in six years.

At this event, a video was shown for the first time revealing the "monster missile," which possesses power comparable to North Korea's nuclear weapons and is tasked with retaliation and response in the event of nuclear use.

On the morning of the 1st, the Ministry of National Defense held the 74th Armed Forces Day commemoration ceremony at the large parade ground in Gyeryongdae, Chungnam, under the theme "Strong Defense, Science and Technology Power."

Previously, Armed Forces Day events were held at locations such as the War Memorial and the 2nd Fleet, and this was the first time in six years since 2016 that the event was held at Gyeryongdae.

About four hours before the event began, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) into the East Sea, adding a more serious atmosphere to the ceremony. It was reportedly the first time North Korea provoked with ballistic missiles on Armed Forces Day.

The event began with President Yoon Suk-yeol, Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop, and other military leaders entering together with Korean War veteran Marine Corps 1st generation veteran Lee Bong-sik (93), Dr. Kim Sang-man, son of the late Colonel Kim Dong-soo, developer of the domestically produced K-9 self-propelled howitzer and currently working at the Agency for Defense Development.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In his commemorative speech, President Yoon said, "I thank the Armed Forces who fulfill their duty to defend the land, sea, and air of the Republic of Korea, and the soldiers deployed overseas for their dedication and hard work."

He then addressed North Korea, saying, "It must now make a decision for denuclearization," and added, "The government will strengthen the ROK-U.S. joint exercises to realize an 'Alliance in Action' and promptly complete the Korean-style 3-axis system to dramatically enhance reconnaissance, surveillance, and strike capabilities against North Korea."

The reading of the salute to the national flag was performed using artificial intelligence (AI) to restore the voices of key figures who laid the foundation of the Armed Forces, including the late General Paik Sun-yup, Admiral Son Won-il, General Choi Yong-deok, and General Shin Hyun-joon.

The parade included the Armed Forces Integrated Military Band, Honor Guard, Color Guard, Special Forces, Future Integrated Units, cadets from each branch, and ground exhibition forces. To demonstrate the capability to respond to North Korea's advanced nuclear and missile threats, a large number of assets from the Korean-style 3-axis system were mobilized.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The 3-axis system, centered on strike weapons such as the 230mm-class Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system, the surface-to-surface ballistic missile ATACMS, and the Hyunmoo-II and III, as well as the kill chain, Korean Missile Defense (KAMD), and Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR), displayed its might.

Surveillance and detection assets such as counter-battery radar I and II, battalion- and division-level unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and interception weapon systems including Patriot (PAC-2 and PAC-3) missiles, Cheongung, and Biho combined systems were showcased.

Representative weapons leading the "K-Defense" industry, such as the K-2 Black Panther tank, K-9 self-propelled howitzer, anti-tank guided missile Hyeongung, and Korean-style amphibious assault vehicle (KAAV), also participated.

In particular, during the video explaining the 3-axis system, following the explanation of KMPR, it was stated, "This includes the high-power Hyunmoo ballistic missile boasting the world's largest warhead weight," and a brief launch scene of the missile was shown.

The missile in the Hyunmoo series, with an estimated warhead weight of up to 9 tons, has its detailed specifications classified.

It possesses the power to neutralize North Korean underground bunkers with a single shot and is considered the strongest conventional weapon that our military can deploy for retaliation, reprisal, and response if North Korea uses nuclear weapons.

In a situation where nuclear possession is realistically impossible, firing multiple missiles simultaneously is known to have power comparable to the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons.

The high-power ballistic missile successfully passed a test launch in 2020, and last September, the military released footage showing it flying 350 km and hitting a target with an accuracy of about 3 meters. However, at that time, to maintain security, footage of another missile in the Hyunmoo series was released.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.