North Korea declared that the ballistic missile launched on January 4 was a hypersonic missile. The Workers’ Party of Korea’s official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, reported on Monday that Kim Jong Un, the party’s General Secretary, personally observed the launch site.
Rodong Sinmun stated that on January 4, a missile launch exercise was conducted by a unit under the Korean People’s Army’s main firepower strike group. The hypersonic missiles, launched northeast from Pyongyang’s Ryokpo District, flew 1,000 kilometers (about 621 miles) to strike predetermined targets in the East Sea.
Kim was accompanied by key officials involved in North Korea’s missile program, including Kim Jong-sik, the first deputy director of the Party’s Munitions Industry Department, and Jang Chang-ha, the director of the missile bureau.
Kim emphasized that maintaining and expanding a powerful and reliable nuclear deterrent is a crucial strategic task. He noted that the day’s launch exercise confirmed the completion of a significant defense technology objective.
The hypersonic missile launched by North Korea is believed to be the Hwasong-11Ma, a short-range hypersonic missile first unveiled last year. Kim’s remarks suggest that North Korea considers the missile’s development complete.
Kim further stated that they’ve recently achieved important milestones in making the nuclear force practical and combat-ready. It must continuously upgrade the military capabilities, especially the offensive weapon systems. This is essential for the self-defense.
He added that it has nothing to hide. Its activities are clearly aimed at gradually enhancing the nuclear war deterrence capabilities. The necessity for this is evident in the recent geopolitical crises and various international events.
Earlier, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that North Korea had launched several ballistic missiles into the East Sea the previous morning.
This missile launch marks North Korea’s first since November 7 of last year and coincides with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping.