The South Korean Defense Ministry assessed that the hypersonic medium-range strategic missile recently launched by North Korea can be adequately detected and intercepted by the defense assets held by South Korea and the United States. This statement directly counters North Korea's claim that its missile's erratic maneuvers rendered the detection systems of South Korea and Japan ineffective.
In a press release on October 4, the Defense Ministry stated, "The Korea-U.S. alliance maintains a robust joint defense posture, and the missile recently launched by North Korea is evaluated to be within the detection and interception capabilities of our defense assets."
The ministry emphasized that South Korean forces closely monitored North Korea's recent series of missile launches from the preparation stage, successfully detecting and tracking the missile immediately after launch and accurately identifying the launch point.
This response is interpreted as a rebuttal to North Korea's assertion that its recently launched missile could evade the detection networks of South Korea and Japan.
On the morning of October 3, North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the East Sea from the Wonsan area at approximately 6:30 a.m. The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the missile flew over 700 kilometers, while Japan's Ministry of Defense estimated the flight distance to be about 680 kilometers.
In contrast, North Korea later claimed through state media that it had launched a hypersonic medium-range strategic missile, asserting that the flight distance reached 1,000 kilometers.
Kim Yo-jong, the Deputy Director of the Workers' Party of Korea, claimed on the day of the launch, "When applying a wave-type flight trajectory, the enemy lost sight of the target after the first jump point," mocking the missile detection capabilities of South Korea and Japan.
She also suggested that it is necessary to recall North Korea's announcements regarding its ability to change flight trajectories at low altitudes and the introduction of artificial intelligence, asserting, "There is virtually no way to avoid this strike."
However, South Korean military officials dismissed North Korea's claims, stating that they had monitored the missile from the preparation stage and continued to detect and track it after launch.
The Defense Ministry reiterated that North Korea's ballistic missile launches constitute a violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
The ministry stated, "North Korea's ballistic missile launches are serious acts that violate UN Security Council resolutions," urging North Korea to immediately cease actions that escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula and to join efforts for peace on the peninsula.
Hypersonic missiles are defined as missiles that fly at speeds exceeding Mach 5 within the atmosphere, maneuvering along non-traditional trajectories rather than following a typical parabolic ballistic path. Due to their high speed and ability to change trajectory during flight, they are considered more challenging to detect and intercept than conventional ballistic missile systems.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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