North Korea tests new hypersonic missile

North Korea has successfully tested a hypersonic gliding missile, state media reported, in what would be the nuclear-armed nation's latest advance in weapons technology.

The development of the weapon system increases North Korea's defence capabilities, state media KCNA said on Wednesday.

"In the first test-launch, national defence scientists confirmed the navigational control and stability of the missile in the active section," the report said.

It said the missile, called Hwasong-8, performed to its technical specifications "including the guiding maneuverability and the gliding flight characteristics of the detached hypersonic gliding warhead."

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not inspect the launch, according to the report.

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North Korea and South Korea both test-fired ballistic missiles on September 15, the latest volley in an arms race in which both nations have developed increasingly sophisticated weapons while efforts prove fruitless to get talks going on defusing tensions.

The North's latest test on Tuesday, which followed two previous rounds of missile tests this month, indicated that the country is returning to its tried-and-true technique of mixing weapons demonstrations and peace offers to wrest concessions amid long-stalled negotiations over its nuclear weapons programme.

Hypersonic missiles move far faster and are more nimble than ordinary ones, making them much harder for missile defence systems –– on which the US is spending billions –– to intercept.

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Arms race

Both Koreas are building up their weapons capabilities in what could become an arms race on the divided peninsula.

The nuclear-armed North, which invaded the South in 1950, is under multiple international sanctions over its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, and earlier this month said it tested a long-range cruise missile.

Seoul is also spending billions on military development and this month successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) for the first time, making it one of a handful of nations with advanced technology.

On Tuesday, it held a ceremony to launch its third SLBM submarine.