PYONGYANG: North Korea has responded to recent questions about missile tests by releasing details of a missile launch.
North Korean officials have released details of their recent missile launch, with the country’s ruling Workers’ Party newspaper Rodong Sinmun quoting officials as saying that a hypersonic missile was fired Tuesday morning.
The newspaper reported that the country’s leader Kim Jong Un witnessed the experience, according to the newspaper, Kim said the country needs to increase its military strength to strengthen its defense capabilities.
Pictures published with the article in the newspaper show that a missile was fired from a mobile launcher. The newspaper said that the missile hit its intended target after a flight of one thousand kilometers.
A separate North Korean claim that the missile launched last Wednesday was also hypersonic, with a speed of five times faster than the speed of sound.
Read more: South Korea raises questions over North Korea’s missile test
South Korean defense officials, comparing the two missile tests, said the missile launched last week had reached hypersonic speeds in part of its flight.
He said the latest missile was twice as fast as the previous one and had gone a long way. Last year, North Korea announced a five-year defense plan that included the development of a variety of missiles.