FILE PHOTO: A missile is seen launched during a drill of the Railway Mobile Missile Regiment in North Korea, in this image supplied by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on September 16, 2021. KCNA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. REUTERS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THIS IMAGE. NO THIRD PARTY SALES. SOUTH KOREA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN SOUTH KOREA./File Photo
North Korea tested a new hypersonic missile on Wednesday, only a day after firing a projectile, state media declared.
According to North Korea’s state-run channel KCNA, the launch took place in Jagang province. The missile reportedly performed “guiding manoeuvrability” and displayed “navigational control”.
The state media reported that the launch met “all technical specifications”. The new North Korean missile was identified as Hwasong-8, although it is unclear whether Kim Jong-Un witnessed the launch but the report added that top officials were present during the testing of the new missile.
North Korea had fired a projectile on Tuesday into the sea off the east coast, South Korea’s military said the new missile was tested in the same area.
On Wednesday, North Korea once again attacked the United States and its neighbour South Korea accusing them of “double standards” about their weapons programme.
Reports say North Korea is increasingly eyeing next-generation missiles to ramp up its arsenal with hypersonic missiles which allows very little time for adversaries to defend after it is launched.
The latest tests come even as Kim Jong-Un’s sister had said the country was willing to consider talks with South Korea which have been stalled for the past two years.
The denuclearisation talks were initiated by former President Trump but North Korea broke away later as talks collapsed in Hanoi. South Korea on Tuesday said it was ready to launch a third submarine capable of carrying ballistic missiles amid tensions in the Korean Peninsula.
