In a display of escalating tensions, North Korea launched a suspected hypersonic missile on Wednesday, which exploded mid-flight. The event comes after the deployment of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt to South Korea and just a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea where he signed a mutual defense pact with leader Kim Jong Un.
The suspected hypersonic missile was launched from an area near North Korea's capital, Pyongyang, at around 5:30 a.m. local time and aimed at the waters off its eastern coast. The South Korean military suspects that the weapon used solid fuel, a key advancement that would allow Pyongyang to make quicker and harder to detect launches unlike missiles using liquid propellants which take time to fuel before launch.
This failed launch follows multiple other tests of the hypersonic missile, including one in April. Hypersonic missiles pose a significant threat as they can travel at least five times faster than the speed of sound or Mach 5, making them very hard to detect and intercept. While the U.S., Russia, and China are all testing these advanced missiles, experts have been skeptical about North Korea's claims.
In addition to the recent military tensions, North Korea has flown hundreds of balloons carrying trash, feces, and parasites across the border into South Korea in the past month. Pyongyang claimed this was in response to long-running efforts by South Korean activists and North Korean defectors to deliver propaganda material, including leaflets critical of Kim Jong-un and USB drives with K-Pop music and K-dramas, via balloons.
The failed missile launch comes amid growing concerns over the increasing tensions in the region involving military drills, mutual defense pacts, border breaches, and trash balloons. The situation remains volatile as all parties involved continue to assert their positions and capabilities.
