North Korea claimed on Thursday that it had conducted a successful test of a hypersonic missile that has the capability to overcome missile defense systems.
It was the country's second hypersonic missile test since September and the first publicly known missile test in two months.
The launch on Wednesday sends out a message that North Korea will be pursuing with its program to modernize its nuclear and missile arsenals instead of the resumption of the disarmament negotiations anytime soon.
State media Korean Central News Agency reported that the Central Committee of the Worker's Party was greatly satisfied by the results of the missile test. According to KNCA, the missile was able to hit its target 700 kilometers (435 miles) away after making a 120-kilometer (75 miles) lateral movement, per Associated Press.
Hypersonic weapons can fly at speeds higher than Mach 5, five times the speed of sound. Their speed and maneuverability can bring crucial challenges to missile defense systems. However, it remains unknown if North Korea has the capability to manufacture such a sophisticated weapon soon; but Pyongyang is committed to developing the capability to produce them.
Pyongyang's Commitment to Upgrading Military Capabilities
Kim recently marked the 10th year of his regime in North Korea, in which he promised to spend more on military development as he cited the increasing instability on the Korean peninsula.
The government has already started spending almost a quarter of its gross domestic product on weapons, which is greater than any other country.
Last year, Kim revealed that he wanted to obtain high-tech military assets for his country like the hypersonic missile North Korea has been testing. The others include multi-spy satellites, solid-fueled long-range missiles, multi-warhead missiles, and underwater-launched nuclear missiles.
Since 2019, he has significantly increased East Asian country's weapons testing that involves different methods of missile launching from a train and a submarine, as per the New York Times.
US, Japan Alarmed
In late 2021, Kim also announced North Korea's testings of a long-range cruise missile which alarmed Japan.
The "peace constitution" of Japan, considered the oldest unamended constitution in the world, was written after the country's defeat in World War II. It restricts its military to self-defense. However, Japan sees North Korea's acceleration in developing its weapons, prompting it to consider revising its constitution to grant its armed forces to attack enemy targets including missile sites.
The recent missile test of North Korea has demonstrated progress in its weapons modernization, particularly in the development of a hypersonic missile. But according to Lee Choon Geun, an expert and honorary research fellow at the Science and Technology Policy Institute of South Korea, there is still more test flights to conduct in order to determine its tactical objectives as well as the status of its technology to develop hypersonic weapons, according to CBS News.
Meanwhile, the US state department announced that North Korea's missile test, believed to be a ballistic one, violated multiple UN security council resolutions and posed a threat to North Korea's neighboring countries and the international community.
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