North Korea said Thursday that it test-fired what it called a “hypersonic” missile a day earlier.

According to the North's official Korean Central News Agency(KCNA), the Academy of Defense Science conducted the test launch on Wednesday. 

The agency added that after the missile detached from the rocket, it  maneuvered 120 kilometers laterally and "precisely hit" a target 700 kilometers away. 

The report said the test launch confirmed flight control and the stability of the missile, as well as the performance of the new lateral maneuvering applied to the detached hypersonic gliding warhead. 

This was the second reported North Korean test of a hypersonic missile, after one on September 28 last year. 

The KCNA said that the latest missile launch was overseen by senior officials of the Workers' Party and science and defense officials. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not attend.

On Wednesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile toward the East Sea from the northern province of Jagang.