North Korea claims to have tested an intermediate-range hypersonic missile. The missile fire caused a reaction in the south of the peninsula where legislative elections are to be held next week.
The capabilities of the new Hwasong 16-B are debated. Seoul and Tokyo estimate that the missile flew for around 600 km, while North Korea speaks of a “ range limited to 1,000 km for safety reasons ”. The only way to know its true capabilities would be to launch at maximum range, which means flying over Japan and significantly escalating regional tensions.