North Korea Fires Hypersonic Missile as Kim Oversees Drill
North Korea test-fired an intermediate-range hypersonic missile on October 3, 2026, in a drill personally overseen by leader Kim Jong Un — its 16th ballistic missile launch this year, Pyongyang's state media KCNA reported on Sunday, as tensions on the Korean Peninsula spike over a landmine blast that wounded South Korean soldiers.
What happened
KCNA said the missile was launched at around 6:30 a.m. local time on Saturday from the eastern coastal area around Wonsan in Kangwon Province, and struck a target about 1,000 km (621 miles) away in the sea off the country's east coast. The drill, carried out by a firepower sub-unit, was intended to train troops operating a hypersonic strategic weapon system and to assess the "reliability, efficiency and mobility" of the country's war deterrent.
South Korea's military detected the launch and assessed that the missile flew more than 700 km toward the East Sea. Seoul is coordinating with the United States and Japan to analyze the missile's technical specifications.
Kim: make enemies recognize the "fatality" of our weapons
After the drill, Kim Jong Un said Pyongyang must continue efforts to make its enemies recognize the "reliability and fatality" of its strategic offensive weapons, calling such tests a form of deterrence. He reaffirmed that developing the country's nuclear war deterrent remains "indispensable" for national security, with no change in that policy.
KCNA photos released on Sunday showed the missile soaring skyward in a burst of orange flame — and Kim smiling alongside his daughter Ju Ae and wife Ri Sol Ju, who was seen clapping. Ju Ae, first introduced to the public in 2022, is seen by South Korea's spy agency as the most likely successor to her father, given her increasingly prominent role at major state and military events.
"Wave-like trajectory" — and a tracking dispute
Kim Yo Jong, the leader's powerful sister and a senior Workers' Party official, disclosed the launch on Saturday, claiming South Korea and Japan had failed to track the weapon's flight. She said a special "wave-like trajectory mode" had exposed the limitations of their tracking capabilities — and that the missile uses artificial intelligence to change its flight orbit at low altitude, meaning, she said, "there is no way to avoid" the attack.
South Korea's Defence Ministry pushed back on Sunday, saying its military had closely monitored preparations for the launch, detected and tracked the missile immediately after liftoff, and accurately identified the launch site.
Tensions rising over DMZ landmine blast
The launch came days after Seoul's military demanded an apology from Pyongyang over a September landmine blast in the demilitarized zone that seriously wounded three South Korean soldiers — an incident the South blames on the North. Pyongyang has denied responsibility and called South Korea "despicable," undercutting overtures by Seoul's civilian leadership seeking a return to dialogue.