Suspected North Korean hypersonic missile exploded in flight: South Korea

Seoul: South Korea's military reported on Wednesday that a suspected hypersonic missile launched by North Korea exploded in flight. This incident occurred amidst North Korea's objections to the regional deployment of a US aircraft carrier for joint military exercises with South Korea and Japan.

Later in the day, South Korea conducted live-fire drills along its disputed western sea boundary with North Korea, marking its first such exercise since suspending a 2018 agreement with the North aimed at easing front-line military tensions earlier in June.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the North Korean missile was launched around 5:30 am towards its eastern waters but failed shortly after launch. Missile fragments were found scattered up to 250 kilometres from the launch site near North Korea's capital. Fortunately, there were no immediate reports of damage.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff indicated that the missile was likely a solid-fueled hypersonic weapon. They noted that the launch produced more smoke than usual, possibly due to an engine malfunction, during a background briefing for South Korean reporters, with details subsequently shared with foreign media.

In a three-way phone call, senior diplomats from South Korea, the US and Japan condemned the missile launch as a violation of UN resolutions and agreed to maintain close coordination in response to North Korean threats, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry.

North Korea has performed a series of hypersonic missile tests since 2021 in an apparent effort to acquire the ability to penetrate its rivals' missile defence shields. Foreign experts question whether the missiles have achieved their desired speed and manoeuvrability during the test flights. AP