North Korea Tests Soliid-fuel Missile Tipped with Hypersonic Weapon

On Monday, North Korea asserted that it conducted a flight test of a new solid-fuel intermediate-range missile equipped with a hypersonic warhead. The country is actively pursuing advanced weapons with enhanced capabilities, aiming to target distant U.S. locations in the region.

North Korea's state media reported this a day after South Korean and Japanese militaries detected the launch near Pyongyang, marking the North's initial ballistic test of 2024.

The launch came two months after North Korea said it successfully tested engines for a new solid-fuel intermediate-range missile, which reflected a push to advance its lineup of weapons targeting U.S. military bases in Guam and Japan.

The official Korean Central News Agency stated that Sunday's launch aimed to confirm the reliability of the missile's solid-fuel engines and the maneuverable flight capabilities of the hypersonic warhead, labeling the test as successful.

KCNA has failed to mention whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was present at the test, which it said was part of the country’s regular weapons development activities.

According to KCNA, “The test-fire never affected the security of any neighboring country and had nothing to do with the regional situation."

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South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missile flew about 620 miles before landing in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The North’s existing intermediate-range missiles, including the Hwasong-12 that may be able to reach the U.S. Pacific territory of Guam, are powered by liquid-fuel engines, which need to be fueled before launch and cannot stay fueled for long periods of time.

Missiles with built-in solid propellants can be made ready to launch faster and are easier to move and conceal, which theoretically makes it harder for adversaries to detect and preempt the launch in advance.

Since 2021, North Korea has been actively testing hypersonic weapons, engineered to achieve speeds surpassing Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound. If these systems are perfected, they could present a significant challenge to regional missile defense systems due to their exceptional speed and maneuverability. 

Hypersonic weapons are among the advanced military assets that Kim introduced in 2021, alongside multi-warhead missiles, spy satellites, solid-fuel long-range missiles, and submarine-launched nuclear missiles.

The North last year tested a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time, which added to its arsenal of weapons targeting the U.S. mainland, and also launched its first military reconnaissance satellite in November.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years after Kim in recent months ramped up his weapons demonstrations. The United States and its allies Seoul and Tokyo responded by strengthening their combined military exercises and sharpening their nuclear deterrence strategies.

There are also concerns about alleged arms cooperation between North Korea and Russia as they align in the face of separate, intensifying confrontations with Washington. In their latest sign of diplomacy, a North Korean delegation led by Kim’s foreign minister, Choe Sun Hui, left Pyongyang on Sunday for a visit to Russia at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, KCNA said. The report did not specify what would be discussed.

The U.S. and South Korean governments have claimed that North Korea has been providing Russia with arms supplies, including artillery and missiles, to help prolong its invasion of Ukraine.

The Biden administration also asserted that it possesses evidence indicating that missiles supplied by North Korea to Russia were utilized in the conflict in Ukraine. In a collective statement with South Korea and their allies last week, the U.S. highlighted that this missile transfer supports Russia's aggressive war and grants North Korea significant technical and military knowledge.

Some experts speculate that North Korea might intensify pressure, particularly in an election year for both South Korea and the United States.