North Korean leader Kim Jong-un supervised a successful test of a new medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile on January 6.
The state news agency KCNA reported that this was North Korea's first missile launch since November 5, 2025, and coincided with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to South Korea. During his visit, Blinken is expected to discuss bilateral and joint cooperation commitments between the US, Japan, and South Korea to address the growing military threats from Pyongyang.
North Korea tested a new medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile at an undisclosed location on January 6, 2025.
The test took place less than two weeks before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has held unprecedented summit meetings with Kim during his first term and has consistently praised their personal relationship, took office.
KCNA said the missile was fired on the outskirts of Pyongyang and flew about 1,500 kilometers at 12 times the speed of sound, reaching a maximum altitude of nearly 100 kilometers before landing precisely on a target off the eastern coast.
The new carbon fiber composite material has been used in rocket engines and it can "effectively penetrate any dense defensive barrier and inflict a serious military blow on the enemy," according to KCNA.
US intelligence: North Korea has voluntarily offered to send troops to help Russia deal with Ukraine.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has praised the missile as a powerful weapon to counter security threats from hostile forces amidst a complex and evolving regional security environment. He emphasized: "The development of this new type of hypersonic missile is primarily aimed at elevating the country's nuclear deterrence capabilities to a new level by changing the means and forms of warfare, creating a weapon system that no one can counter, a bulwark of strategic deterrence."
The South Korean military said on January 6 that a suspected IRBM missile flew more than 1,100 kilometers east before falling into the sea.
U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, along with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, condemned the latest launch, while also warning about the deepening relationship between Pyongyang and Moscow – including cooperation on space and satellite technology.
According to Reuters, North Korea is developing a new type of solid-fuel hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). In 2024, North Korea conducted tests using the new solid-fuel design and carrying what Pyongyang calls a hypersonic glide vehicle – a warhead designed to be maneuverable and evade missile defense systems.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/trieu-tien-thu-nghiem-thanh-cong-ten-lua-sieu-thanh-dung-vat-lieu-moi-185250107063709363.htm
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