Anchor: The South Korean military has succeeded in test-firing a ballistic missile with a range of 800 kilometers. If the missile is deployed, it is expected to be a key weapon that can hit any target in North Korea, even if fired from a southern part of South Korea.
Our Kim In-kyung has more. 
 
Report: A high-ranking South Korean official said on Thursday that South Korea has developed a ballistic missile that can put any North Korean territory within striking range.
 
According to the official, the South Korean military recently test-fired a Hyunmoo-type ballistic missile with a flying range of 800 kilometers at the Anheung test site of the Agency for Defense Development(ADD) under the Defense Ministry.
 
The official said the missile test observed by Defense Minister Han Min-koo was successful, saying it satisfied all requirements in every key assessment area, including launch, flight and target strike. 
 
However, the missile’s flying distance had to be artificially downscaled in the test due to the space limit. It is the first time Seoul has announced the successful testing of a ballistic missile with a range of 800 kilometers. The military authorities plan to deploy the missile within the year after several more tests.
 
Currently, South Korea has three Hyunmoo-type missiles --- Hyunmoo-2A ballistic missile with a range of more than 300 kilometers, Hyunmoo-2B ballistic missile with a range of more than 500 kilometers, and Hyunmoo-3, a cruise missile with a range of more than one-thousand kilometers.
 
The newly developed Hyunmoo missile can reach any area in the North even if launched from the southern area of South Korea’s mainland. It is expected to be a key military asset that can be used to take out North Korea's leadership and nuclear and missile facilities in case of a military conflict on the Korean Peninsula. 
 
South Korea started developing a medium-range ballistic missile in 2012 when Seoul and Washington revised a bilateral accord that extended the range of South Korean missiles from 300 kilometers to 800 kilometers. 
Kim In-kyung, KBS World Radio.