Pyongyang says it fired new hypersonic projectiles that struck inland targets; Seoul and Washington condemn the tests as destabilizing ahead of Asia summits.
North Korea announced a successful test of a new hypersonic weapons system, launching two projectiles from near Pyongyang that the state media said accurately struck targets in the country’s northeast. State broadcaster KCNA released images of a missile flight and an impact, calling the exercise “clear proof” of upgraded self-defence capabilities. The launches came days before major Asia meetings that will bring together world leaders, including scheduled engagements involving U.S. President Donald Trump.
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and regional monitors detected multiple launches and classified them as a mix of short-range ballistic and hypersonic projectiles. South Korea and the United States condemned the launches as violations of U.N. resolutions that risk destabilising regional security. Military analysts say hypersonic systems — which travel at many times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre mid-flight — are designed to complicate missile-defence interception and increase Pyongyang’s strategic deterrence.
The timing is widely viewed as deliberate: the tests coincide with high-profile diplomacy in the region and may be intended to strengthen Pyongyang’s bargaining position or register displeasure with regional security arrangements. Government briefings indicate the projectiles did not leave North Korean territory; nevertheless, the launches have prompted heightened alert levels among neighbours and increased diplomatic messaging in capitals preparing for the upcoming summits.
