South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported that the new weapon system possesses the potential to target US military installations on Guam.
According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), North Korea launched a ballistic missile, believed to carry a hypersonic warhead, into the East Sea on Monday. Military officials reported the missile launched from near Pyongyang around noon and traveled approximately 1,100 kilometers before impacting the water.
The JCS noted the missile’s shorter trajectory compared to typical intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs), which usually travel 3,000 to 5,500 kilometers. However, a JCS official indicated the possibility of a hypersonic warhead, similar to those tested by North Korea in 2024. Hypersonic missiles are notoriously difficult to intercept due to their high speed.
The potential for this missile to strike US military bases in Guam, a territory approximately 3,400 kilometers from Pyongyang housing significant US strategic assets, has been raised by Yonhap News Agency.
While North Korea has conducted numerous missile tests in recent years, it hasn’t yet acknowledged this latest launch reported by South Korean military authorities.
Over the past decades, North Korea has faced multiple UN Security Council resolutions condemning its missile program.
In late December of last year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un pledged continued advancements in the nation’s defenses and the pursuit of the “toughest anti-US counteraction” to date, referring to the US as the “most reactionary state” and its anti-communism as an “invariable state policy,” according to KCNA.
Kim further characterized the US alliance with Japan and South Korea as a “nuclear military bloc for aggression,” labeling South Korea an “out-and-out anti-communist outpost of the US.” He advocated for the launch of “the toughest anti-US counteraction…aggressively” by North Korea for its long-term national interests and security.