North Korea has confirmed that it test-fired a newly developed hypersonic missile, state media reported Thursday, raising concern about the nuclear-armed country’s technological progress in hard-to-intercept weapons, the official Japan News Agency (Kyodo) reported. ).
The agency noted that the launch came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged at the end of last year to strengthen his country’s defense capabilities, saying that the military environment on the Korean Peninsula and the international situation was “increasingly turbulent.” Kyodo quoted some foreign affairs experts as saying that the missile test aimed to increase Kim’s influence in his country at a time when North Korea’s economy has become stagnant due to border closures in light of the Corona pandemic.
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