Cheongung-III

Cheongung-III (M-SAM III) is South Korea's next-generation medium-altitude surface-to-air missile system, replacing the current Cheongung-II in the mid-tier of the Korea Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) architecture. In a contract award announced in May 2026, LIG Nex1 edged out Hanwha by a 0.1-point margin in the Defence Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) evaluation to lead the approximately ₩3 trillion (~$2.2 billion) development programme. LIG Nex1 won the engagement control system (ECS) — the command-and-control unit that determines when and how to intercept. Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Aerospace, who built the Cheongung-II radar and launcher, will retain those roles in Cheongung-III.

Cheongung-III's defining capability is a defended footprint four times larger than Cheongung-II, enabling fewer batteries to cover the same geographic area. The system targets Ballistic Missiles and advanced aircraft at ranges and altitudes above LAMD and below THAAD. Development is scheduled for completion by 2034, after which the system enters KAMD service as the mid-tier layer. The ₩3 trillion programme is one of the largest defence contracts in recent Korean history; LIG Nex1 also separately secured a $2.78 billion deal to supply Iraq with Cheongung-II in 2024, demonstrating strong export demand for the family.

Cheongung-III's significance spans the drone and defence-industrial beat but will be central to any Korea-specific topic covering the peninsula's evolving air-defence architecture. The competition between LIG Nex1 and Hanwha — two of Korea's largest defence primes — also signals the increasing maturity and competitiveness of South Korea's domestic defence industry.