North Korea says it tested hypersonic missiles with leader Kim Jong-un attending

The missiles launched by North Korea on Sunday were test launches of hypersonic missiles that "successfully" struck targets in the East Sea under the supervision of the country's leader Kim Jong-un, the North's state media reported Monday.

A North Korean hypersonic missile launch drill on Jan. 4 under the supervision of Kim Jong-un, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, in a photo released by the Rodong Sinmun on Jan. 5. [RODONG SINMUN]

The missiles launched by North Korea on Sunday were test launches of hypersonic missiles that "successfully" struck targets in the East Sea under the supervision of the country's leader Kim Jong-un, the North's state media reported Monday.

"A sub-unit under a major firing strike group of the Korean People's Army conducted a missile launching drill" to evaluate the country's war deterrence and the readiness of the weapons system, as well as to verify its capacity to fulfill missions, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

South Korea's military detected the missile launch at 7:50 a.m. Sunday, hours before President Lee Jae Myung departed for Beijing for summit talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping and after the United States announced the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale military strike.

"Through today's launching drill, we can confirm that a very important technology task for national defense has been carried out. The missile soldiers showed the readiness of the DPRK's nuclear forces without regret and gave confidence in it," the KCNA quoted Kim as saying.

DPRK refers to the official name of North Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Kim Jong-un, right, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, walks with officers in a photo released by the state-run Rodong Sinmun on Jan. 5. [RODONG SINMUN]

Kim said North Korea has put its nuclear forces "on a practical basis" and prepared them for "an actual war," urging that the country must "continuously upgrade the military means, especially offensive weapon systems" and calling the efforts "an essential undertaking for self-defense."

"To be honest, our such activity is clearly aimed at gradually putting the nuclear war deterrent on a high-developed basis. Why it is necessary is exemplified by the recent geopolitical crisis and complicated international events," Kim was quoted as saying in the KCNA report.

Although the KCNA report did not specify what the "recent geopolitical crisis" is, the North's foreign ministry on Sunday condemned the U.S. military strike that captured Maduro, calling it "the most serious form of encroachment of sovereignty."

Kim Jong-un, right, general secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, pointing at a screen of what appears to be missile logistics with officers in a photo released by the state-run Rodong Sinmun on Jan. 5. [RODONG SINMUN]

The KCNA said the hypersonic missiles hit targets 1,000 kilometers (621.4 miles) away in the East Sea after being launched from Pyongyang's Ryokpho District.

South Korean military and experts believe that, judging from factors such as flight distance and trajectory, North Korea likely conducted a test launch of the “Hwasong-11Ma,” a system that combines a hypersonic glide vehicle with a KN-23 series short-range ballistic missile. Hypersonic glide vehicles are assessed as being difficult to intercept because they can perform irregular maneuvers at low altitudes.

Kim also expressed thanks to the military unit in charge of the drill and extended New Year's greetings to all the officers and men of the missile forces. He also voiced expectations that "all the missile forces would remain faithful to their sacred mission as a reliable shield for defending the sovereignty and security of the DPRK by fulfilling their consistent and responsible combat duty under iron discipline."

Among the spectators were Kim Jong-sik, first vice department director of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea and Jang Chang-ha, general director of the Missile Administration of the DPRK, according to the KCNA.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG, YONHAP [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]