North claims new hypersonic IRBM..."Checking the Pacific adversary".

[Anchor]
North Korea has successfully test-fired a new hypersonic mid- to long-range ballistic missile, state media reported.

Chairman of the State Affairs Commission Kim Jong-un claimed that it is a weapon that no one can respond to and that it will keep enemies in check in the Pacific Ocean.

I'm connecting with the reporter.

Reporter Lee Jong-won, please tell us the details.

[Reporter]
Yes, the Korean Central News Agency confirmed that the missile North Korea launched yesterday was a new hypersonic mid- to long-range ballistic missile, IRBM.

The missile launched northeast from Pyongyang flew 12 times the speed of sound, claiming that it hit the virtual waters targeted by international waters 1,500 kilometers away.

Jang Chang-ha, director of the Missile General Bureau, guided the site and Kim Jong-un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission, observed the launch by video with his daughter Joo-ae.

The news agency claimed that new carbon fiber composites were used to build the engine, and new methods were also introduced for flight and guidance control systems.

In response to the test-fire, Chairman Kim said that the goal is to advance nuclear war deterrence, and that there would be only a few countries in the world with such a weapon system.

He also argued that any dense defense barrier could effectively break through and inflict a severe military blow on the opponent, and that he would be able to reliably check any adversary in the Pacific region.

Chairman Kim's remarks are interpreted to mean that he not only has the ability to hit U.S. territory Guam in case of emergency, but also can avoid interceptions.

North Korea's test-fire of a missile yesterday was the first this year and a provocation two months after it launched a short-range ballistic missile in early November last year.

About two weeks before the inauguration of the second Trump administration, the new missile appears to have adjusted the water level by showing its strike capability on Guam and reducing the range of IRBMs up to 5,500 kilometers.

I'm Lee Jongwon of YTN in the political department.