North Korea tests intermediate-range hypersonic missile, KCNA reports

North Korea carried out a drill involving the launch of a strategic intermediate-range hypersonic missile that struck a target 1,000 kilometers away in the Sea of Japan, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. According to the state news agency, the launch took place in the eastern part of the country on October 3.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally observed the drill. "We must make sustained and responsible efforts to repeatedly demonstrate to our enemies the reliability and lethal power of our strategic offensive capabilities," Kim said, according to KCNA.

The report said missile units practiced operating the hypersonic system while also testing its reliability, effectiveness and mobility. The missile was launched in a northeasterly direction and, according to KCNA, accurately hit the designated point 1,000 kilometers away.

The drill is the latest in a series of North Korean weapons tests involving hypersonic systems, which are designed to travel at high speeds and maneuver in flight, making them harder to intercept. Pyongyang has previously described such tests as part of its efforts to modernize its strategic forces.

KCNA did not provide further details on the specific type of missile used or the exact launch site. The report characterized the exercise as a demonstration of the country's strategic offensive capabilities.

According to Mehr News, citing KCNA, the launch took place on October 3 in eastern North Korea and the missile hit its intended target in the Sea of Japan.