North Korea's Kim says new hypersonic missile will deter 'rivals'

by Hieun SHIN / Claire LEE

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un said it tested a new hypersonic missile this week aimed at deterring the country's Pacific rivals, state media reported Tuesday, as Washington's top diplomat visited the region.

The test came two weeks before the inauguration of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, who previously tried to woo North Korea, and coincided with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to the South.

"The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region that can affect the security of our state," Kim, who oversaw the launch, said in comments carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Tuesday.

KCNA cited the use of a "new compound of carbon fibre" in the missile's engine, which experts warned could allow Pyongyang to hit further targets with technology to which only the United States, Russia and China currently have access.

The launch also used a "new comprehensive and effective method" for its flight and guidance control system, KCNA said.

Blinken visited on Monday strategic ally South Korea, a fierce rival of the North with whom it technically remains at war. The top US envoy, now in Tokyo, was expected to address issues surrounding Pyongyang in talks with Japan.

It was North Korea's first launch since November, when it test-fired what it said was its most advanced and powerful solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Kim said in a statement the missile launched on Monday flew for 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) -- beyond the 1,100-kilometre figure given by South Korea's military -- and travelled at 12 times the speed of sound before landing in the ocean.

"This is clearly a plan and effort for self-defense, not an offensive plan and action," Kim said.

However, he added the missile's performance could "not be ignored worldwide", saying it was able to "deal a serious military strike to a rival while effectively breaking any dense defensive barrier".

"The development of the defense capabilities of the DPRK aiming to be a military power will be further accelerated," Kim said, using the acronym for the North's official name.

The launch was a message to the United States to engage in dialogue based on Pyongyang's new game-changing technology as Trump prepares to enter the White House, analysts said.

"It sends a clear message to the Trump administration, suggesting that in order to engage in dialogue, North Korea's strategic position must be acknowledged," Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP.

- Kim's daughter watches -

Images released by KCNA showed Kim observing the launch with his teenage daughter Ju Ae at an undisclosed location.

The location of the test site was also undisclosed, but images showed the missile launching from a remote piece of land surrounded by water on either side and trees stripped because of the winter cold.

Analysts said the new missile launch was concerning because it included technology to which few nations have access.

"Achieving such speeds requires materials that can withstand extreme conditions," said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

If successful, the launch means North Korea could test for extended ranges and, if it can reach between 3,000 and 5,000 kilometers, "it could threaten not only U.S. forces in Japan but even further targets", Yang said.

Blinken condemned the launch and said Pyongyang was "already receiving Russian military equipment and training".

Hong said Pyongyang may have had "technical cooperation" with Moscow on the new missile technology.

US and South Korean intelligence believe that North Korea sent thousands of troops late last year to fight against Ukraine and has already suffered hundreds of casualties.

Acting South Korean president Choi Sang-mok criticized Pyongyang's launch at a cabinet meeting Tuesday, calling it a "grave threat" to regional security.

Lee Sung-joon, spokesperson of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, said some of North Korea's launch details, such as the missile's flight range, were inaccurate and that it "has frequently made exaggerated claims".

The launch took place while South Korea grapples with political turmoil after impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law last month, claiming he had to protect against "North Korean communist forces".

North Korea's Kim last year said Yoon was "a man lacking something," asserting that the way for Yoon to guarantee South Korea's security was to "not provoke" the North.

© Agence France-Presse