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Missile being launched in North Korea (published by the state news agency KCNA, place and time of launch and the type of missile have not yet been fully verified)
Photo: KCNA / via REUTERS
North Korea reported the successful test of a hypersonic missile for the first time last year.
Now Pyongyang declared again that a missile of this type had been successfully tested.
The missile had transported a warhead that "hit a target 700 kilometers away," reported the state news agency KCNA on Thursday.
The test took place the day before.
The test confirmed the functionality of the flight controls and the "stability of the rocket in the active flight phase," explained KCNA.
In addition, the "fuel ampoule system under winter conditions" was successfully tested.
Hypersonic describes speeds above five times the speed of sound, i.e. around 6180 kilometers per hour.
In this way, they should be able to break through missile defense systems, as they are difficult to identify and intercept for conventional air defense.
Clear announcement from Washington
For years, Pyongyang has been promoting the development of missiles that not only hit South Korea and Japan, but can also carry nuclear warheads as far as the USA.
On Wednesday, South Korea and the USA reported the test of a suspected ballistic missile by North Korea and condemned it sharply.
According to information from Seoul, the rocket landed in the sea east of the Korean peninsula.
"This launch violates several UN Security Council resolutions and poses a threat to North Korea's neighbors and the international community," said a State Department spokesman in Washington.
Even massive sanctions are having little effect
Despite the economic crisis in North Korea, fueled by international sanctions and the corona pandemic, the leadership of the desperately poor country carried out numerous large weapon tests in the past year.
According to a United Nations report in October, North Korea is continuing to develop its weapons program.
Pyongyang is subject to numerous international sanctions because of its nuclear and missile ambitions.
US diplomatic efforts have been unsuccessful in recent years.
The talks between Washington and Pyongyang are largely on hold after the failed summit between Kim Jong Un and then US President Donald Trump in 2019.
Last week, North Korea’s ruler Kim Jong Un announced that he would further expand the military capabilities of his armed forces.
jok / AFP