A senior U.S. defense official believes that North Korea has not yet completed the development of hypersonic missile technology despite Pyongyang’s recent claim of a successful test launch.

The official said during an online press briefing on Wednesday that there is no evidence that North Korea has mastered hypersonic weapons.

The official added that while Pyongyang continues incorporating such technology into missile tests, it is "not fully there yet."

North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile last Wednesday and claimed the following day that it had tested a new hypersonic weapon.

When asked whether Pyongyang has secured reentry technology for its intercontinental ballistic missiles, the official said North Korea has made progress but has yet to demonstrate full missile performance through all phases of flight, including reentry.