North Korea announced on Tuesday that its recent missile tests involved a new weapons system of "great significance," with reports indicating the launch of a missile previously described as hypersonic. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated that the development of this weapon would enhance the country's military readiness and pose challenges to its adversaries, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). Specific details about the weapon were not provided.
Kim observed the missile tests on Sunday alongside his teenage daughter, who is viewed as a potential successor. South Korea's military reported that North Korea fired two short-range missiles from the eastern coastal area of Wonsan, three hours apart. The missiles traveled approximately 280 miles and 370 miles toward the sea, landing in waters outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, as confirmed by Japan's military.
These launches are part of a series of military displays by North Korea, which have included live-fire exercises and the commissioning of a new warship. Kim continues to showcase the country's growing nuclear capabilities despite calls from the United States to resume diplomatic discussions. Over the years, North Korea has developed an extensive arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles, including long-range systems that could reach the US mainland and shorter-range missiles designed to bypass missile defenses in South Korea and Japan.
Among the missile systems tested in recent years are those equipped with purported hypersonic technology, designed to travel at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound. While these weapons are intended to evade regional missile defenses, some experts have questioned whether they consistently achieve the speeds claimed by North Korea during tests.
Photos released by KCNA from the recent tests depicted two missiles with conical, finned vehicles being launched from trucks. Kim was shown observing a monitoring screen identifying the missile as a Hwasong-11Ma, a system previously described by North Korea as hypersonic.
These missile launches occurred after US President Donald Trump scaled back a joint military exercise with South Korea last month, an action seen as an attempt to revive diplomacy with Kim, who has characterized such drills as rehearsals for invasion. Kim's sister, Kim Yo Jong, criticized Trump's gesture, asserting that reducing the scale of the drills would not alter their "provocative, aggressive nature."
Experts suggest that Kim Jong Un, bolstered by his advancing nuclear arsenal and strengthened ties with Russia and China, may perceive himself as having increased leverage in any potential diplomatic negotiations with Trump. The North Korean government has stated that Washington must first abandon its "hostile policy," which primarily refers to US-led sanctions and joint military exercises with South Korea, and drop demands for North Korea's denuclearization before talks can proceed.