North Korea says it test-fired new hypersonic missile -KCNA

September 28, 2021

SEOUL (Reuters) – The missile North Korea fired off its east coast on Tuesday was a newly developed hypersonic missile, state news media KCNA reported on Wednesday.

North Korea fired the missile towards the sea off its east coast, South Korea’s military said, as Pyongyang called on the United States and South Korea to scrap their “double standards” on weapons programs to restart diplomatic talks.

The development of the weapon system increases North Korea’s defense capabilities, KCNA said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un did not inspect the launch, according to the report.

“In the first test-launch, national defense scientists confirmed the navigational control and stability of the missile in the active section,” the report said.

It said the missile, called Hwasong-8, performed to its technical specifications “including the guiding maneuverability and the gliding flight characteristics of the detached hypersonic gliding warhead.”

North Korea and South Korea both test fired ballistic missiles on Sept 15, the latest volley in an arms race in which both nations have developed increasingly sophisticated weapons while efforts prove fruitless to get talks going on defusing tensions.

(Reporting by Sangmi Cha; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Grant McCool)

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