North Korea’s recent launch of a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) demonstrates its efforts to enhance surprise attack capabilities.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the Workers’ Party, reported on Tuesday that the Missile General Bureau successfully conducted a test launch of the new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile on Monday.
The newspaper’s photos indicate that the launch site was not the usual location, such as near the runway of Pyongyang International Airport or the open areas along the Taedong River on the outskirts of Pyongyang. Instead, it appears to have been conducted from a new location.
Analyzing the geographical features in the photos, the launch site seems to be further inland, following the Taedong River eastward from Pyongyang.
However, satellite images from Google Earth, taken in 2024, show that there were buildings at the presumed launch site until last year. These buildings now appear to have been demolished, and the area is landscaped, likely to be converted into a launch site.
The test launches of the Hwasong-16A, a new intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle, on April 2, 2024, and the Hwasong-19, labeled a completed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on October 31, 2024, were conducted near Pyongyang. However, those sites were located further south than the latest launch site.
Kim Jong Un personally observed the on-site tests during the missile launches in April and October 2024. However, this time, he monitored the launch remotely via video link, a significant departure from previous practices.
This change suggests North Korea conducted the recent hypersonic missile test launch to simulate actual combat. By using a new launch site instead of the previously monitored ballistic missile launch sites and minimizing Kim’s exposure, North Korea appears to be attempting to evade detection by South Korea and the United States.
The decision to conduct the ballistic missile launch in this new way will likely avoid preemptive detection, targeting, or interception by South Korea and the United States. Hypersonic missiles, theoretically capable of reaching Seoul from Pyongyang in about a minute, rely heavily on avoiding external tracking for operational success.
Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, stated, “This approach is a resadversaries’ response to pre-launch exposure and adversaries. It also demonstrates the capability of mobile launchers (TELs) to operate within a certain radius without being detected, emphasizing North Korea’s stealth in response to the superior reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities of South Korea and the United States.”
