Ministry of National Defense: North Korean Missiles Are Not Hypersonic

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The Ministry of National Defense has classified North Korea's claimed 'hypersonic missile' as a "projectile that has not reached the technology level."

On the 7th, a Ministry of National Defense official voluntarily held a briefing and said, "The performance of the hypersonic missile launch claimed by North Korea in the report on January 6, such as range and lateral maneuvering, appears to be exaggerated."

The Ministry of National Defense stated that the missile North Korea launched on the 5th had a speed of about Mach 6 and an altitude below 50 km. They added that it did not reach the 700 km flight distance claimed by North Korea.

North Korea conducted the first test launch of the newly developed hypersonic missile 'Hwasong-8' on September 28 last year. Regarding this, the Ministry of National Defense added, "There has been no additional technological advancement in the four months since the missile North Korea claimed to have tested on September 28, and it is judged to be one of the other types of missiles first revealed at the Defense Development Exhibition in October last year."

An official from a Ministry of National Defense-affiliated missile research agency also said, "From our country's perspective, it is regarded as a ballistic missile with a maneuverable warhead that has already been developed."

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