North Korea confirmed today yesterday's launch of a new hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA, citing a statement from the state news agency KCTA.
The North Korean media pointed out that the country's leader Kim Jong-un personally watched the successful test.
This was the first missile launch from North Korea since November 5, 2024, and it coincided with the visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to South Korea, Reuters notes.
The missile was launched from the outskirts of the DPRK capital Pyongyang and flew about 1,500 kilometers at a speed 12 times greater than the speed of sound. The missile reached an altitude of nearly 100 kilometers, falling exactly at the designated end point of its flight - in waters off the eastern North Korean coast.
The engine of this missile uses new carbon fiber materials, and accordingly it "can effectively penetrate anywhere and deliver a serious blow," the KCNA said in a statement.
Kim hailed the missile as a powerful weapon to defend against any threat to North Korea's security.
"The development of a new type of hypersonic missile is aimed at creating a solid foundation for our deterrent capabilities in a nuclear war by turning the means of changing the military situation - weapons systems that no one has an answer to - into a major tool for strategic deterrence," Kim was quoted as saying by the KCNA.