The Republic of Korea (ROK) has completed initial upgrades of its Cheongung missile defense system, the states arms procurement agency said.
The first batch of the Cheongung-II deployed in July 2025 and is expected to be fully installed and operational by 2027, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). The original Cheongung-I system, first deployed in 2016, focused on striking hostile aircraft at altitudes of up to 40 kilometers. The upgraded system is effective against both aircraft and ballistic targets and is designed to intercept incoming missiles at altitudes of 15 kilometers and ranges of 40 kilometers. Cheongung-II is equipped with a high-performance multifunction radar and improved interceptor missiles, according to The Korea Herald newspaper.
“As the second phase of the Cheongung-II program, developed using domestic technology, becomes fully operational, our military’s aircraft and ballistic missile response capabilities are expected to be significantly strengthened,” said Jeong Gyu-heon, head of DAPA’s Future Power Business Division. “We will continue to focus our efforts on optimizing the operation of the deployed Cheongung-II and expanding exports in the future.”
DAPA has awarded contracts to develop the missile’s next iteration, the Cheongung-III, a mid-range surface-to-air system, the agency announced in July 2025. The ROK expects to complete development by 2034 with full integration into the national missile defense network, according to The Korea Economic Daily website.
The Cheongung series is part of the ROK’s Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD), a multilayered defense system that is part of the Ministry of National Defense’s broader effort to counter North Korean missile threats. Announced in 2021, KAMD will include long-range surface-to-air missiles capable of intercepting missiles at altitudes of 40 kilometers and ranges of 150 kilometers; shorter-range systems like the Cheongung series; and low-altitude missile defense (LAMD) units, an interceptor system similar to Israel’s Iron Dome. KAMD also includes a network of radars, including ballistic missile early warning radar.
KAMD is part of the ROK’s plan to bolster its three-axis defense system, which is designed to counter threats via three components: KAMD, the Kill Chain preemptive strike system and the Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation plan, which aims to deliver a devastating retaliatory strike should North Korea attack.
DAPA also approved a plan to upgrade the ROK’s Patriot missile defense system by acquiring the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system. “We have decided to buy more Patriot missiles and upgrade more [Patriot Advanced Capability-2] launchers in response to heightening threats of North Korea’s ballistic missile attacks,” a DAPA official told The Korea Economics Daily. The upgrade is expected to be completed by 2031.
The ROK announced in October 2024 that it would accelerate KAMD’s development amid increasing tensions with North Korea. The LAMD deployment, originally scheduled by 2035, was accelerated amid increased tensions on the Korean Peninsula, including reports that North Korean soldiers had joined the Russian army in its war against Ukraine.
North Korea is thought to have stationed thousands of artillery systems within range of major South Korean population centers, including Seoul, located 56 kilometers from the Demilitarized Zone.