As Washington’s focus drifts toward Europe, South Korea is signaling it is prepared to act independently against growing threats from the North. Seoul has moved to deploy its Hyunmoo-5 “monster missile,” a powerful bunker-buster designed to neutralize deeply buried North Korean nuclear facilities. The deployment comes amid a surge in Pyongyang’s missile tests and rising concerns over a possible pre-emptive strike doctrine, marking a significant escalation in deterrence dynamics on the Korean Peninsula.