South Korea on Saturday announced that it has developed a cruise missile with a range of 1,500 km, according to local media.

The development of the surface-to-surface "Hyunmoo-3C" cruise missile has been completed by the state-run Agency for Defense Development after the project began in 2008, an unnamed military official quoted by Seoul's leading broadcaster YTN as saying.

The missile, the longest-range weapon in South Korea's arsenal, is expected to be deployed along the border with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) by the end of the year, the official said.

The DPRK's major nuclear facilities will be within range of the missile once it is deployed, he added.

Seoul completed development of the cruise missile with a range of 1,000 km in 2007.