North Korea claimed Thursday that it successfully tested a new "hypersonic missile" a day earlier, which would give the nuclear-armed country another weapon that has the potential to evade missile defenses.
The test — the second apparent launch of a hypersonic weapon in just over three months — was expected to give more ammunition to those in Japan pushing for the country to acquire the capability to strike enemy bases.
In Wednesday's test, the new "hypersonic gliding warhead" detached from its rocket booster and maneuvered 120 kilometers laterally before it "precisely hit a set target” 700 km away, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.