KCNA said a Saturday launch overseen by Kim Jong Un flew 1,000 kilometres to a sea target. South Korea's military had assessed a flight of more than 700 kilometres.
North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile in a test overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, state media KCNA reported on Sunday, Reuters said from Seoul. KCNA said the missile was launched on Saturday from eastern North Korea and hit a target 1,000 kilometres, or 621 miles, in the sea off the east coast.
The drill was intended to train troops operating a hypersonic strategic weapon system and to assess reliability, efficiency and mobility, KCNA said. Kim Yo Jong, the leader's sister, had disclosed the test on Saturday and said a wave-like trajectory mode exposed limits in South Korean and Japanese tracking. She also said artificial intelligence was applied to low-altitude orbit changes, without providing evidence.
South Korea's military said on Saturday it detected a ballistic missile and assessed that it flew more than 700 kilometres toward the sea off the eastern coast. The two distance figures were not reconciled in the reports.
KCNA said Kim Jong Un told the force that Pyongyang must make adversaries recognise the reliability of its strategic weapons and that the nuclear deterrent remained essential. Reuters said the launch was the latest in a series of more than 10 missile tests this year.
The test followed a landmine blast in the Demilitarized Zone last month that wounded South Korean soldiers. Seoul blamed the North and sought an apology. Kim Yo Jong called that accusation groundless on Friday.
People Sentiments Negative
- Kim Yo Jong said South Korea and Japan failed to track the weapon from its first skip points.
- South Korea's military assessed a flight of more than 700 kilometres, shorter than the KCNA figure.
- Kim Jong Un said the nuclear deterrent remained essential, according to KCNA.