North Korea says new hypersonic missile can deter ‘adversaries’ in Pacific
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said a new hypersonic missile used in a test launch on Monday would help deter the country’s adversaries in the Pacific, the state news agency reported.
Kim, who supervised the launch, said in remarks carried by the agency that the hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any adversaries in the Pacific region who could affect the security of our state.
This missile test came as US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited his strategic ally South Korea, which is still technically in a state of war with its northern neighbor.
The North Korean leader was quoted in a statement as saying the missile flew 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) – more than the distance reported by the South Korean military of 1,100 kilometers – and travelled at a speed of nearly 12 times the speed of sound before crashing into the water.
Kim stressed in his statement that this plan and effort are definitely for self-defense and not an offensive plan and action.
However, the North Korean leader pointed out that the performance of this missile cannot be ignored around the world, as it’s capable, he said, of delivering a dangerous military strike to an opponent while effectively breaking through any solid defensive barrier.
Kim stressed that the development of North Korea’s defensive capabilities, which aim to become a military power, will accelerate further.
North Korea launched a missile on Monday, coinciding with Blinken’s visit to South Korea, where he warned that Pyongyang was cooperating to an unprecedented extent with Russia in the field of space technology.
The missile fired by North Korea fell into the sea while Blinken was holding talks with officials in Seoul as part of his efforts to encourage South Korea to maintain Yoon’s policy of strengthening cooperation with Japan.
