REUTERS
April 3, 2024 at 07:40 JST
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a test launch of a possible new mid- to long-range solid-fuel hypersonic missile at an unknown location in North Korea on April 2 in this picture released on April 3 by the Korean Central News Agency. (KCNA via REUTERS)
SEOUL--North Korea successfully test-fired a new mid- to long-range solid-fuel, hypersonic missile, state media KCNA said on Wednesday.
North Korea fired a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile into the sea on Tuesday in a possible test, drawing swift condemnation from South Korea, Japan and the United States.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch, KCNA said, lauding it as a strategic weapon that demonstrates the "absolute superiority" of North Korea's defense technology.
With this, North Korea has "fully turned all tactical, operational, and strategic-grade missiles of different ranges into solid-fuel, with warhead control, and capable of nuclearization," Kim said, according to KCNA.
Hypersonic missiles are more difficult to intercept, while missiles with solid fuel can be moved and stored more easily, meaning they can be ready to launch at short notice.
Tuesday's test followed a ground test in late March of a solid-fuel engine for a new type of intermediate-range hypersonic missile.
Britain also condemned North Korea's latest ballistic missile launch on Tuesday, saying it breached multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Meanwhile, a North Korean diplomatic delegation that visited China, Vietnam and Laos, as well as an economic delegation to Russia, have all returned home on Tuesday, KCNA said.
North Korea says it tested solid-fuel missile tipped with hypersonic weapon
January 15, 2024
North Korea says it test launched missiles from train
January 15, 2022
Why is North Korea testing hypersonic missiles and how do they work?
January 15, 2024
South Korea says North Korea has fired an intermediate-range missile into its eastern waters
April 2, 2024
North Korea shows Kim Jong Un examining a military spy satellite that may be launched soon
May 17, 2023
North Korea says it tested new hypersonic missile
September 29, 2021
Stories about memories of cherry blossoms solicited from readers
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
A series on the death of a Japanese woman that sparked a debate about criminal justice policy in the United States
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
