South Korea's military reported on Wednesday that North Korea launched an alleged hypersonic missile that exploded mid-flight. The missile was launched around 5:30 a.m. and traveled off North Korea's east coast before blowing up. The weapon was suspected to be a solid-fueled hypersonic missile, and the launch generated more smoke than normal launches, likely due to an engine fault.
Senior diplomats from South Korea, the U.S., and Japan condemned the missile launch as a violation of U.N. resolutions, according to South Korea's Foreign Ministry. This incident comes amidst Cold War-style psychological warfare tactics between the rival Koreas, including balloon launches and loudspeaker broadcasts that have been causing tensions.
