South Korea says it has tested a domestically built hypersonic missile
Seoul said the test took place on Wednesday 8 October, days after North Korea tested a medium-range ballistic missile. The reading that it was a direct response to that launch is not independently verified.

South Korea said on Wednesday 8 October 2026 that it had tested a hypersonic missile designed and built in the country. Reports describe it as the first hypersonic missile test South Korea has carried out.
The test came within days of a North Korean test of a medium-range ballistic missile, and several reports read it as an answer to that launch. South Korean officials have not been quoted making that link, and Natna News could not independently verify it.
Observers cited in those reports say the step could further sharpen the military situation on the Korean peninsula. Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can change course in flight, which makes them hard for missile defences to intercept.
No detail has been released on the missile’s range, its type or the platform it was fired from. There is also no report of an immediate response from North Korea.

