PYONGYANG(Realist English) . North Korea conducted a training launch of a medium-range strategic missile equipped with a hypersonic glide vehicle. The launch was observed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un together with his daughter Ju Ae and wife Ri Sol Ju, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
Launch details
According to KCNA, the launch took place at dawn on October 3 from the country’s eastern coast in the direction of the East Sea. The missile, launched in a northeastern direction, hit a target at a distance of 1,000 kilometers. KCNA also published the exact coordinates of the impact point: 43°36’28.04″ north latitude and 138°00’47.02″ east longitude.
South Korean military officials had earlier reported detecting the launch of a ballistic missile from the Wonsan area at about 6:30 a.m. local time. According to their assessment, the missile flew more than 700 kilometers. The 300-kilometer discrepancy between Seoul’s and Pyongyang’s data became the subject of a separate statement by Kim Yo Jong.
Kim Yo Jong’s statement
The North Korean leader’s sister and deputy head of the Propaganda Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea, Kim Yo Jong, issued a statement less than 12 hours after the launch. She claimed that South Korean and Japanese military authorities were unable to track the missile’s trajectory due to the limited capabilities of their tracking systems.
According to her, the missile is capable of changing trajectory at low altitude and is also integrated with artificial intelligence elements, which makes its detection and interception difficult.
Kim Jong Un’s words
Commenting on the exercises, Kim Jong Un stated: “We must continue our responsible efforts to make the enemy constantly and repeatedly acknowledge the reliability and lethality of our strategic offensive means.” He called the launch “a form of exercising deterrence” and emphasized that such actions are aimed at “the faster development of the country’s nuclear deterrence.”
The North Korean leader also noted that such events are “necessary to protect national security and stability in today’s geopolitical situation.”
Possible missile type
Experts, citing KCNA’s report on the missile’s ability to change trajectory at low altitude, suggest that a Hwasong-16 Na hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile may have been tested.
This is North Korea’s 16th missile launch since the beginning of 2026. Previous tests in September, according to South Korean military data, included launches of Hwasong-11Ma missiles, which Pyongyang also describes as hypersonic.
Background: rising tensions
The launch took place amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula following a mine explosion in the demilitarized zone on September 21, which injured three South Korean servicemen. Seoul accused Pyongyang of planting the mine and demanded an official apology. Kim Yo Jong rejected these accusations, calling them baseless.
