This picture taken on Jan 6, 2025 and released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Jan 7, 2025 shows the launch of a hypersonic missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea. - AFP
SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said a new hypersonic missile system tested this week would help deter the country's Pacific rivals, state media reported Tuesday (Jan 7), as Washington's top diplomat visited the region.
The test came two weeks before the inauguration of US president-elect Donald Trump, who has previously tried to woo North Korea, and coincided with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to the South.
"The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region that can affect the security of our state," Kim, who oversaw the launch, said in comments carried by KCNA on Tuesday.
KCNA cited the use of a "new compound of carbon fibre" in the missile's engine, which experts warned could allow Pyongyang to hit further targets with technology only the United States, Russia and China currently have access to.
The launch also used a "new comprehensive and effective method" for its flight and guidance control system, KCNA said.
Blinken on Monday visited strategic ally South Korea, a fierce rival of the North, with whom it technically remains at war. The top US envoy, now in Tokyo, was expected to address issues surrounding Pyongyang in talks with Japan later Tuesday.
It was North Korea's first launch since November, when it test-fired what it said was its most advanced and powerful solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
In a statement, Kim said the missile launched Monday flew for 1,500km (930 miles) -- beyond the 1,100-kilometre figure given by South Korea's military -- and travelled at 12 times the speed of sound before landing in the ocean.
"This is clearly a plan and effort for self-defence, not an offensive plan and action," Kim said.
However, he added that missile's performance could "not be ignored worldwide," saying it was able to "deal a serious military strike to a rival while effectively breaking any dense defensive barrier."
"The development of the defence capabilities of the DPRK aiming to be a military power will be further accelerated," Kim said, using the acronym for the North's official name.
The launch was a clear message to the United States to engage in dialogue based on Pyongyang's new game-changing technology as Trump prepares to enter the White House, analysts said.
"It sends a clear message to the Trump administration, suggesting that in order to engage in dialogue, North Korea's strategic position must be acknowledged," said Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
Images released by KCNA showed Kim observing the launch with his teenage daughter Ju Ae at an undisclosed location.
The location of the test site was also undisclosed, but images showed the missile launching from a remote piece of land surrounded by water on either side and trees stripped because of the winter cold.
Analysts said the new missile launch was concerning because it included technology few nations have access to.
"What's so alarming about this missile is that this technology is currently possessed only by Russia, China, and the United States," said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.
"What's especially impressive about this technology is that... achieving such speeds requires materials that can withstand extreme conditions."
If successful, the launch means North Korea could test for extended ranges, and if it can reach between 3,000 to 5,000 kilometres, "it could threaten not only US forces in Japan but even further targets," Yang added.
Blinken and South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul condemned the launch at a joint news conference, where the outgoing US top diplomat said it showed the importance of deepening a three-way alliance with Japan.
Blinken said Monday that Pyongyang was "already receiving Russian military equipment and training" and warned that Moscow intends to share advanced space and satellite technology with its ally.
US and South Korean intelligence believe that North Korea late last year sent thousands of troops to fight against Ukraine and has already suffered hundreds of casualties. - AFP
