In his New Year speech, Kim Jong-un promised to further strengthen the country’s military capabilities.
North Korea state television KCNA says the country successfully tested a supersonic missile it developed on Wednesday. News agencies reported this Reuters and Yonhap.
According to the KCNA, the hypersonic coupler hit 700 kilometers from the launch site to the designated target. Among other things, the test tested the missile’s functionality in winter conditions. The definition of hypersonality is considered to be that the missile can reach up to 5 times the speed of sound. The KCNA did not report what speed was reached in the test.
Japan, South Korea and the United States said on Wednesday they had detected a missile test and condemned it. According to Japan, the missile hit a sea area between the two countries, tells the BBC.
This is the second time North Korea claims to have tested a hypersonic missile. Experts estimate, based on news images, that the new missile will differ in part from the Hwasong-8 missile launched in the fall.
In the past, North Korea has tested new types of cruise missiles and a ballistic missile system running on railways, among other things.
Author of authoritarian North Korea Kim Jong-un said in its New Year speech, the country intends to “continue to strengthen its defenses due to the unstable military situation on the Korean Peninsula”.
Read more: North Korea claimed to have tested a new supersonic missile
Hypersonic missiles have also been developed by the United States, Russia and China, among others.
The advantage of missiles is considered to be that they are detected by defense systems at a later stage than, for example, ballistic missiles due to their low flight path. In addition, the flight path of hypersonic missiles can be changed after launch.
People followed a news broadcast of a missile test on January 5 at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea.
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