SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea said on Friday it had completed development of a new ballistic missile interceptor, adding a further layer to defence systems deployed to protect against missile threats from neighbouring North Korea.
The move comes after the North designated South Korea a "hostile state" and no longer a partner in the goal of unification, breaking from decades of policy and dramatically escalating tension with hostile rhetoric throughout the year.
The Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (LSAM) is designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles or aircraft at altitudes higher than 40 km (25 miles) in the terminal phase of its descent, the defence ministry said.
Ten years in development, the L-SAM will become operational in the mid- to late 2020s after mass production begins in 2025, the ministry added in a statement.
"This is a cutting-edge weapon that intercepts enemy missiles at high altitudes to minimise damage on land, expanding our military's missile defence capabilities to higher altitudes and wider areas," it said.
The new addition will augment the U.S. Patriot missile and indigenous Cheongung II medium-range interceptor, both currently operational, the South's Agency for Defense Development (ADD) said.
Like the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which South Korea hosts, L-SAM uses the "hit-to-kill" manoeuvre, relying on advanced technology to fine-tune its flight to strike incoming enemy targets, the ministry said.
North Korea has tested a range of ballistic missiles in the past five years, steadily advancing its arsenal, including shorter-range missiles designed to strike targets in South Korea, which Pyongyang has designated a "primary foe."
The neighbours have clashed in naval gun fights, and in 2010 an artillery attack by the North struck a South Korean island, but the North has not yet fired a missile against the South.
In 2022, a short-range ballistic missile fired from the North's east coast crossed south of the de facto maritime border to land in international waters, prompting the South to launch missiles as a countermeasure.
(Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
