North Korea claims successful test of new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile

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North Korea claims successful test of new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile

Published: 07 Jan. 2025, 10:16 Updated: 07 Jan. 2025, 15:51

SEO JI-EUN
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Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Jan. 7 shows the test-firing of a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile conducted on Jan. 6. Analysts suggest the missile, equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV), resembles the Hwasong-16B launched in April last year. [YONHAP]

North Korea claimed Tuesday that it successfully tested a new intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missile (IRBM) with advanced capabilities, but South Korea’s military cast doubt on the claim, calling it "deceptive."

The missile’s hypersonic glide vehicle, launched on Monday, reportedly reached two peaks during its flight — 99.8 kilometers (62 miles) and 42.5 kilometers in altitude — and traveled approximately 1,500 kilometers at speeds exceeding 12 times the speed of sound, according to the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA). It struck its intended target in the East Sea.

The announcement follows South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) assessment that the missile was initially believed to have a range of 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers. However, during Monday’s test, it traveled a shorter distance of 1,100 kilometers before landing in the East Sea — a calculated move to temper the missile's impact while showcasing its capability to strike targets like Guam, a critical U.S. military base.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) expressed skepticism about the missile's performance.

“The claimed flight distance and second peak altitude appear highly deceptive," JCS spokesperson Col. Lee Sung-jun said during a press briefing. "There was no evidence of a second peak."

"Due to the short range and compact geography of the Korean Peninsula, hypersonic missiles are unlikely to perform optimally," Lee said, explaining that the operational environment in the Peninsula, with its limited area and constant surveillance, would make it difficult for such missiles to evade detection or tracking.

State media highlighted the use of advanced materials and technologies, including a “new compound of carbon fiber” for the engine body and "a new comprehensive and effective method" in the flight and guidance control system.

Unlike traditional ballistic missiles that primarily fly through space, hypersonic missiles travel longer distances within the atmosphere, requiring materials resistant to intense friction and heat. South Korea placed carbon fiber under North Korean sanctions monitoring as it can be used for solid-fuel missiles, while North Korea has boasted of its ability to procure and use such materials.

Experts raised the possibility of North Korean-Russian technological cooperation in this field.

“Hypersonic missiles are next-generation strategic weapons designed to penetrate the counterpart's defense systems, and Russia has made the fastest progress in this field," said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies. "With this launch, North Korea appears to be emulating Russian progress."

The launch comes two weeks before the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and coincides with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s final visit to Seoul, as well as political instability in South Korea following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observed the test remotely via a monitoring system, according to the KCNA. General Jang Chang-ha, director of the Missile Administration, and key officials from the defense science institute were present at the launch site.

“The current test-fire proved without doubt that we are actively developing such powerful new-type weapon systems as intermediate-range hypersonic ballistic missiles to cope with different security threats posed by hostile forces at present,” Kim said, according to the English-language KCNA report. “A few countries in the world might possess such weapon systems.”

"The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region that can affect the security of our state," Kim said.

Analysts believe North Korea is leveraging the timing to demand recognition of its status as a nuclear state and influence the incoming U.S. administration’s stance.

“Before 2018, North Korea sought recognition as a dialogue partner. Since 2019, it [shifted toward] altering the U.S. negotiation approach," said Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification. "To engage in negotiations, North Korea seeks strategic recognition and for arms control rather than denuclearization."

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, right, holds a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the government complex in Seoul on Jan. 6. [KIM JONG-HO]

The missile launch drew swift condemnation from South Korea’s acting government, as well as international allies.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken jointly denounced the test during a press conference in Seoul. The governments of Britain, France and Japan also issued statements condemning the launch.

China, however, remained neutral. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun reiterated Beijing’s consistent position on the Korean Peninsula issue, declining to comment on the specific launch.

Update, Jan. 7: Comments from the Korean JCS, experts, responses from other foreign countries added.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]