North Korea announced it had successfully carried out a test of “a new cutting-edge weapons system” featuring hypersonic projectiles on Wednesday, aimed at strengthening its strategic deterrence capabilities against adversaries.
According to a report from the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Thursday, 2 hypersonic projectiles were launched from an area near the capital city, Pyongyang, and accurately struck a target located in the country’s northeastern region., reports Reuters.
The KCNA report made no mention of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s attendance during the test. In recent years, North Korea has been developing hypersonic missile technology, which allows the projectiles to manoeuvre at high speeds and evade traditional missile defence systems.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s military said on Thursday that its radar detected what appeared to be several short-range ballistic missiles launched by North Korea. The test took place just a week ahead of a major Asia-Pacific leaders’ summit in South Korea, which US President Donald Trump is expected to attend, reports Reuters.
Trump is also expected to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the visit.
Responding to the incident, US Forces Korea said it was “fully aware” of the launches. “The United States condemns these unlawful and destabilising actions,” urging North Korea to refrain from further provocations that breach international sanctions.
