N Korea tests hypersonic missile

State among handful of militaries with such technology

North Korea test-fired a newly developed hypersonic missile this week, state news media KCNA reported yesterday, joining a race headed by major military powers to deploy the advanced weapons system.

North Korea fired the missile off its east coast towards the sea on Tuesday, South Korea’s military said, as Pyongyang called on the US and South Korea to scrap their “double standards” on weapons programmes to restart diplomatic talks. North Korea has been steadily developing its weapons systems amid an impasse over talks aimed at dismantling its nuclear and ballistic missile arsenals in return for US sanctions relief.

Sung Kim, the US special envoy for North Korea, said the latest launch was “destabilising”, but Washington would continue diplomatic efforts to denuclearise the Korean peninsula. “We are waiting to hear back from Pyongyang,” he told a virtual forum from Jakarta where he serves as US ambassador to Indonesia.

Low-flying

Unlike ballistic missiles that fly into outer space before returning on steep trajectories, hypersonic weapons fly towards targets at lower altitudes and can achieve more than five times the speed of sound — or about 6,200 km per hour.

The report said the missile, called the Hwasong-8, performed to its technical targets.

The test could mean the North is entering an accelerating race to deploy the weapon now involving the United States, Russia and China.