North Korea claims successful launch of hypersonic missile
North Korea said it had successfully tested "a new cutting-edge weapon system" involving a hypersonic missile as part of a defense program to bolster its strategic deterrence against enemies.
North Korea's state news agency KCNA said on October 23 that two supersonic missiles were launched from an area near the capital Pyongyang and hit a target deep inland in the northeast of the country.
KCNA did not mention whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was present at the test. North Korea has been developing hypersonic missiles designed to maneuver and penetrate a target's missile defense system.
North Korea appeared to have fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles, South Korea's military said on October 23, a week before a meeting of Asia-Pacific leaders in South Korea and an expected visit to the region by US President Donald Trump.
US President Donald Trump is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
It was the first time Pyongyang had launched a ballistic missile since May, in defiance of a UN Security Council arms embargo. And it was also the first since Lee Jae-myung was elected South Korean President on a platform of engagement with North Korea.
According to the Strait Times, the South Korean and US presidents have discussed the idea of meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un when President Trump visits South Korea, but Pyongyang has yet to publicly respond to the idea.
US officials considered, but never confirmed, a trip to the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
South Korea has suspended tours of the joint security area at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom until early November, but has yet to confirm any plans for a meeting with leader Kim Jong-un.
