Missile Wings Soar Over Tension: North Korea Tests the Ultimate Deterrent
With two hypersonic projectiles launched from the outskirts of Pyongyang toward the northeast, North Korea announced its entry into a new stage of the arms race, placing its neighbors and rivals before a deterrence equation still under experimentation.
According to the Korean Central News Agency, the country tested an “advanced” weapons system described as part of its strategy to build the “ultimate deterrent” against its adversaries.
The agency reported that two hypersonic missiles were launched from an area near the capital and struck a target in the country’s northeast with high precision. It added that the test was part of a defensive program aimed at “strengthening the nation’s strategic deterrence.” It did not specify whether leader Kim Jong-un attended the launch.
Weapons Beyond the Speed of Sound
Hypersonic missiles are among the most advanced weapons in modern military programs. They can exceed five times the speed of sound, making interception by traditional missile defense systems extremely difficult.
For years, North Korea has been developing this type of missile, capable of maneuvering in flight and altering its trajectory to evade enemy air defenses.
A Highly Sensitive Moment
The announcement came amid escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula and just days before the Asia-Pacific leaders’ summit in South Korea, giving the test a political dimension that goes far beyond military experimentation.
It also precedes the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, expected to bring together U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The test comes shortly before Trump’s anticipated visit to the region, as military tensions between the two Koreas continue to rise.
Earlier, South Korea’s military reported that North Korea had launched several short-range ballistic missiles from around Pyongyang toward the Sea of Japan, alongside reports of experiments involving new hypersonic missiles.
An Accelerating Weapons Program
The latest test adds to a series of missile launches carried out by North Korea in recent months, including ballistic missile firings, submarine trials, and the recent launch of the Malligyong-1 spy satellite using the new Chollima-1 rocket.
In its official statements, Pyongyang insists that the development of these systems falls within its “legitimate right to self-defense” and aims to confront what it calls “continued U.S. threats” in the region.
