North Korean Missile Exceeds Sound Speed by 16 Times

On Sunday morning, a missile launched by North Korea reached speeds exceeding that of sound by 16 times. This information was reported to Yonhap by a military source in Seoul, as reported by TASS.

According to the source, the missile was fired at nearly a vertical angle, achieving a maximum speed of 16 times that of sound.

South Korean military officials, based on the data they received, speculate that the missile launched was the 'Hwasong-12' medium-range missile, which was first introduced to the international community during a military parade on April 14, 2017. The inaugural launch of this missile took place on May 14 of the same year.

The available data indicates that the DPRK conducted the launch of the medium-range ballistic missile from the Jagang Province towards the Sea of Japan. The missile traveled approximately 800 km, reaching a maximum altitude of 2,000 km.

Pyongyang has not conducted such launches since the end of 2017, maintaining a voluntary moratorium on intercontinental ballistic missile and nuclear tests.

This current launch marks the seventh launch of the year. Earlier this month, North Korea conducted tests of tactical guided missiles and a railway missile system, as well as tests capable of maneuvering after launch.