Anchor: North Korea claimed that it had test-fired a hypersonic missile from Pyongyang on Wednesday, which was its first ballistic missile provocation in five months. While the test was conducted in the absence of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, the regime emphasized the defensive nature of the latest launch.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: North Korea test-fired two hypersonic missiles from Pyongyang as part of its new weapons system.

North Korean state-run media reported that the two hypersonic missiles were fired northeast from Pyongyang's Ryokpho District on Wednesday and struck their target point in Orang County, North Hamgyong Province.

Although the news agency did not disclose the missile's detailed specifications, it is possible that it was the short-range Hwasong-11Ma, equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle-shaped warhead, that was showcased at the North's military parade earlier this month.

The South Korean military, on the other hand, gives more weight to the view that the projectile is the heavyweight Hwasongpo-11Da ballistic missile based on its flight trajectory.

The KCNA said the missile test was a part of the regime's broader plan to enhance its deterrence against potential enemies.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not observe the latest missile test. 

Pak Jong-chon, the deputy of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Military Commission, who was present at the launch, stressed that the missile's development was defensive in nature.

The North did not specifically mention the United States or South Korea, and it did not report the launch in the ruling party's mouthpiece, Rodong Sinmun, which is read by North Korean people, in an apparent wait-and-see approach to the international community's response.

U.S. Forces Korea criticized the missile test, urging the regime to suspend acts that violate United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.