South Korea unveils laser air-defense weapon 'Chungwang' at Armed Forces Day, shooting down drones for first time

From the Hyunmoo-5 "monster missile" to the domestically developed KF-21 fighter jet, 46 types of weapons systems and key equipment — more than 70 units in total — were on full display at this year's Armed Forces Day ceremony. The laser air-defense weapon Chungwang made its debut at the event, shooting down drones overhead in the first live-fire interception demonstration at an Armed Forces Day ceremony.

The Ministry of National Defense held the 78th Armed Forces Day ceremony Thursday at the runway of Gyeryong base in South Chungcheong Province, under the theme "Realizing self-reliant defense, irreplaceable armed forces." About 800 troops took part — a slight reduction from last year in both personnel and equipment.

Equipment units were divided into three formations — the Korean three-axis system, K-defense industry and future forces — and passed in review before President Lee Jae-myung.

The centerpiece was the Hyunmoo-5 surface-to-surface ballistic missile, whose 8-ton warhead is designed to destroy deeply buried underground bunkers sheltering North Korea's leadership. Other flagship K-defense systems also drew attention, including the Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air guided missile, the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher, the K2 main battle tank and the K9 self-propelled howitzer.

In the skies, the KF-21 Boramae — South Korea's 4.5-generation homegrown fighter jet, whose first mass-production aircraft entered operational service last month — performed a flyover formation.

Several systems made their public debut at the event. These included the K877 wheeled command vehicle, the KM3 self-propelled river-crossing system capable of ferrying two K21 infantry fighting vehicles across a waterway, a Marine Corps high-performance multiple rocket launcher with a maximum range of 120 kilometers, and a 120-millimeter mortar system. AI-based drone swarms and an anti-drone interceptor unmanned aerial vehicle capable of speeds exceeding 200 kilometers per hour were also among the manned-unmanned combined systems on show.

The post-ceremony program featured a live drone interception demonstration by Chungwang, the laser air-defense weapon developed entirely with domestic technology.

Chungwang first shot down four small drones in two separate engagements. In the first, a single Chungwang unit tracked two drones and downed them in succession with laser fire. In the second, two Chungwang units each engaged one drone simultaneously. Spectators watched the entire sequence — from target detection to laser firing — on large display screens.

Chungwang was developed under the leadership of the Agency for Defense Development and entered operational service in late 2024. It works by directing a high-powered fiber-optic laser at a target to burn it. Available in 20-kilowatt and 30-kilowatt variants, it has an effective range of 500 meters to 2 kilometers. Each interception costs the equivalent of 10,000 to 20,000 won ($15) in electricity — a fraction of the hundreds of millions of won per shot required for conventional surface-to-air missiles, making it a cost-effective option against small drones.

"Small unmanned aerial vehicles and drone strikes have emerged as a major threat in recent conflicts," the Defense Ministry said. "Chungwang was developed with our own technology and deployed operationally to counter that threat."

Because the demonstration took place near spectators, the military put in place the highest level of safety measures, restricting the drones to a limited airspace with capped speed and altitude.

The Armed Forces Day event planning committee said the ceremony would serve as "a meaningful occasion to confirm the self-reliant defense capabilities of an irreplaceable armed forces."