North Korea has successfully tested a new intermediate-range hypersonic missile, according to state media sources.
The missile reportedly flew 932 miles at 12 times the speed of sound and reached an altitude of nearly 62 miles. The weapon was launched from the outskirts of the country’s capital, Pyongyang, before ultimately hitting a target off North Korea’s east coast.
North Korea says the ballistic missile “will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region,” per the BBC.
The test comes just days after the hermit kingdom’s leader, Kim Jong Un, vowed to crack down on America’s Western policies. Kim criticized what he sees as an anti-communist movement led by Washington. Kim has also been increasingly critical of America’s alliances with South Korea and Japan, both enemies of North Korea.
For its part, South Korea responded to the recent test, saying it “strongly condemns” what it views as a “clear act of provocation.”
The last missile launch conducted by North Korea occurred in November, one day before the U.S. presidential election. At the time, no less than seven short-range ballistic missiles were fired off the country’s eastern coast.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the most recently tested missile’s engine was constructed with new carbon fiber composite materials, helping the weapon “effectively penetrate any dense defence barrier and inflict a serious military blow on the opponent,” per Reuters.
“The development of new-type hypersonic missile is mainly aimed to steadily put the country’s nuclear war deterrent on an advanced basis by making the means of changing the war situation, the weapon system to which no one can respond, the linchpin of strategic deterrence,” Kim said on KCNA.
In October, The Dallas Express reported that Russia and North Korea agreed to a military alliance. The agreement ultimately led to the deployment of North Korean troops in war-ravaged Eastern Europe.