North Korea Launches Suspected Hypersonic Missile in First Provocation of the New Year
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Seoul, Jan 6 (NationPress) North Korea has launched a suspected hypersonic missile into the East Sea on Monday, as reported by the South Korean military, representing its first act of provocation in the new year prior to the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) disclosed that the missile launch was detected around 12 p.m. from the Pyongyang area, with the missile traveling approximately 1,100 kilometers before landing in the sea.
Although the missile's flight distance was less than the typical 3,000 to 5,500 km range of intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs), it is believed to share characteristics with North Korea's previous intermediate-range hypersonic missiles that were launched in January and April of the previous year, according to a JCS official.
If verified as a hypersonic missile, this would represent the greatest distance achieved by a North Korean missile of this type.
This recent launch coincided with the visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Seoul, where discussions were held regarding measures to counter North Korean threats amidst political unrest in South Korea due to President Yoon Suk Yeol's unsuccessful attempt at martial law.
Officials in South Korea have cautioned that North Korea might exploit the political turmoil by engaging in military provocations, potentially increasing cross-border tensions, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
In a statement to the press, the JCS emphasized, "With a robust South Korea-US combined Defence posture, our military will vigilantly observe various North Korean activities to prevent any miscalculation of the current security landscape," while condemning the launch as a "clear provocation.">
This latest display of military might also occurred two weeks before Trump assumes office on January 20.
Previously, North Korea had launched multiple short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea on November 5, just ahead of the US presidential election.
During a year-end party meeting, North Korea asserted it would implement the "toughest" counteraction strategy against the US, alleging that military collaboration among South Korea, the US, and Japan has evolved into a "military bloc for aggression.">
