North Korea announced on Tuesday that it successfully conducted a test launch of a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) the previous day.
The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Missile Bureau launched the test on Monday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was observed via a video surveillance system.
According to the report, the missile was launched from a site northeast of Pyongyang. Its hypersonic glide vehicle reached Mach 12, with peak altitudes of 99.8 km and 42.5 km, before accurately striking a target area 1,500 km (932 miles) away in international waters.
The newspaper claimed this test aims to enhance strategic deterrence against potential adversaries in response to the region’s evolving security landscape.
The report noted that the new IRBM incorporates advanced carbon fiber composites and improved flight and guidance control systems based on accumulated technologies.
Kim expressed great satisfaction with the test results, stating that the new IRBM aims to bolster nuclear deterrence by developing a weapon system that can change battlefield dynamics and is impossible to counter.
He reiterated that the primary goal of the new hypersonic missile is to enhance nuclear deterrence capabilities by creating an unstoppable weapon system mirroring the objectives of other military powers.
The newspaper boasted that the performance of their latest hypersonic medium-range missile system is globally significant, capable of penetrating dense defensive barriers and delivering severe strikes. It hailed the test as a considerable achievement in strengthening self-defense capabilities.
The report also claimed that the hypersonic missile system would effectively deter potential adversaries in the Pacific region that could threaten national security.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported detecting a ballistic missile launch from the Pyongyang area around noon the previous day, which flew approximately 1,100 km before landing in the East Sea.
This IRBM test, capable of reaching Guam, occurred just two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, suggesting it may be intended as a message to the United States.