(ANSA) - BEIJING, 11 JAN - North Korea today launched a missile that flew for more than 700 km at a maximum altitude of 60 km for a maximum speed of Mach 10, equal to 10 times the speed of sound. "We assess it has been an improved model compared to that of January 5," reported the Joint Chiefs of Staff of Seoul, calling Pyongyang's activity a "clear" violation of UN Security Council resolutions. Last week, the Yonhap agency reported, the North claimed to have tested a hypersonic vector that, according to Seoul, traveled less than 700km at a maximum speed of Mach 6.
"The launches represent a significant threat to peace and security not only in the Korean peninsula but also in the world and are not useful for reducing military tensions," added the note from the Seoul armed forces.
The Indo-Pacific command of the United States has spoken of "missile ballistics", part of the "destabilizing" impact of the Northern illicit weapons program.
There is, however, a discrepancy in flight distance between what was communicated by the Japanese South Korean authorities.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense noted that the probable ballistic missile would have covered less than 700 km if it had followed the normal trajectory, crediting the hypothesis of an 'advanced' model.
(HANDLE).