A source speaking to Defense News revealed that the plan has been approved by South Korea's Ministry of National Defense and will be "inaugurated" in October 2018 as part of a newly created counter-artillery brigade.
"The plan is to be reported to President Moon Jae In next month as part of the ‘Defense Reform 2.0' policy," the source stated, adding that the "brigade's mission is fairly focused on destroying North Korea's long-range guns more rapidly and effectively, should conflict arise."
According to the outlet, the missiles, which can travel more than 120 kilometers and are accurate to within two meters, can "penetrate bunkers and hardened, dug-in targets several meters underground."
The GPS-guided "artillery killer" was completed in 2017 by the Hanwha Corporation in partnership with the state-funded Agency for Defense Development, Zee News reported. A total of four missiles can be launched at the same time from a fixed launch pad.
This reveal comes one day after Washington and Seoul announced that they would be holding their annual joint military drills, Foal Eagle and Key Resolve, starting in April. The drills were previously pushed back because of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
It's unclear how North Korea will respond to Seoul's new missiles. US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un are expected to meet by the end of May.
