North Korea Tests Hypersonic Missile Under Kim Jong-Un's Watch
On Tuesday, North Korea announced it had successfully carried out a test launch of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) equipped with a hypersonic warhead, as reported by Yonhap News Agency citing state media. According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the missile traveled approximately 1,500 kilometers at a speed 12 times faster than sound during a test observed by North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un via a monitoring system the previous day. Kim mentioned that the missile development aimed to strengthen North Korea's nuclear deterrence by turning the weapon system, which no one can counter, into the cornerstone of strategic deterrence.
According to KCNA, Kim stated that the hypersonic missile system will effectively counter any adversaries in the Pacific region that threaten our national security. He added that the system is capable of delivering a significant military blow to an opponent while successfully penetrating any strong defensive barriers.
According to the KCNA, the hypersonic glide vehicle on the IRBM achieved its initial peak at an altitude of 99.8 kilometers and a second peak at 42.5 kilometers, covering a distance of 1,500 kilometers and hitting its intended target in the sea.North Korea's missile test, its first act of provocation in nearly two months, took place just under two weeks before the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump on January 20.
The South Korean military refuted the North's assertion, labeling it as a 'deception,' and stated there was no second peak. 'The flight range analyzed by South Korea, the US, and Japan was approximately 1,100 kilometers, and the missile did not achieve a second peak,' JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-un said during a regular press briefing, highlighting the North's history of 'exaggerating,' according to Yonhap.
North Korea likely aimed to showcase its strength to the United States. An official from South Korea's unification ministry mentioned to reporters that since the recent launch was described as a test-firing, the weapons system seems to be incomplete, indicating a need for further development in military technology.
North Korea launched a hypersonic missile into the East Sea on Monday. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of South Korea reported that they detected the launch of a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) from the Pyongyang region around noon yesterday. The missile covered a distance of about 1,100 kilometers before it landed in the sea, according to Yonhap.
Although the missile's flight range is shorter than the typical 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers for IRBMs, a JCS official noted that it appeared to share features with North Korea's intermediate-range hypersonic missiles tested in January and April of last year.
(Agency)