Overview
- South Korea and Japan reported multiple ballistic projectiles launched near Pyongyang into waters off the Korean Peninsula.
- Two rockets reached about 50 kilometers in altitude and traveled roughly 900 and 950 kilometers, according to both governments.
- State media said Kim Jong Un personally oversaw launches of "highly advanced" hypersonic missiles and framed the tests as preparing nuclear forces for war.
- The launches occurred hours before South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed for talks with China's Xi Jinping in Beijing.
- Independent experts dispute that North Korea has fully developed hypersonic weapons and say the tests aim to improve precision, pressure the U.S.-South Korea alliance, and potentially validate systems for transfer to Russia.