North Korea Claims Successful Test of Hypersonic Ballistic Missile

SEOUL, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- North Korea said Tuesday it successfully test-fired a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile, claiming the weapon would "reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region."

Missile Test Details

The missile, which was fired on Monday, traveled roughly 930 miles at 12 times the speed of sound, the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported. The hypersonic glide vehicle of the missile reached a first peak of 61 miles and a second peak of 26 miles, the report said.

South Korea's Response

South Korea's military called the claims "highly likely to be deceptive," however. Lee Sung-joon, spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a press briefing Tuesday, "North Korea is an organization that is good at propaganda, incitement, and deception."

Lee said the military believes the launch was a follow-up to a hypersonic intermediate-range missile test in April.

Kim Jong Un's Statements

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch via a monitoring system, KCNA reported, and said the weapons system "can deal a serious military strike to a rival while effectively breaking any dense defensive barrier."

"The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region that can affect the security of our state," Kim said.

U.S. Response and Concerns

The launch came as U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Seoul for talks on issues including the North Korean nuclear threat. Blinken and his counterpart, Cho Tae-yul, condemned the launch at a joint press conference on Monday afternoon.

Blinken also raised concerns about the growing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, warning about the potential sharing of advanced space and satellite technology.

Implications of Hypersonic Weapons

Hypersonic weapons, traveling at least five times the speed of sound, pose a challenge for missile detection and interception systems. Intermediate-range missiles tipped with nuclear warheads could potentially reach U.S. military installations in Guam.

In a year-end address at the Eighth Party Congress, Kim condemned the alliance between the United States, Japan, and South Korea as a "nuclear military bloc for aggression" and called for aggressive action against the U.S.