North Korea test-fires newly developed hypersonic missile
SEOUL : North Korea test-fired a newly developed hypersonic missile this week, state news media KCNA reported yesterday, joining a race headed by major military powers to deploy the advanced weapons system.
North Korea fired the missile off its east coast towards the sea on Tuesday, South Korea's military said, as Pyongyang called on the United States and South Korea to scrap their "double standards" on weapons programmes to restart talks.
US Special Envoy for North Korea Sung Kim said the latest launch was "destabilising" and posed a regional threat, but Washington would continue diplomatic efforts to denuclearise the Korean peninsula.
"We are waiting to hear back from Pyongyang.
"We have made a number of approaches... and proposed dialogues on a wide range of topics," he told a virtual forum from Jakarta where he serves as US ambassador to Indonesia.
Hypersonic weapons can achieve more than five times the speed of sound - or about 6,200kmh.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North's hypersonic missile was at an early stage of development, judging by detected velocity and other data, and would take a "considerable period of time" until it could be deployed. - REUTERS
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