North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided the first test-fire of Hwasongpho-16B, a new-type intermediate-range solid-fueled ballistic missile loaded with newly-developed hypersonic gliding warhead, KCNA reported on Wednesday.
All North Korean missiles are now solid-fuel and nuclear-capable and are equipped with maneuverable warheads, agency added.
The state media reported that the launch of the missile was aimed at confirming the designed technical specifications and verifying the reliability of the weapon system.
"It was conducted in the way of verifying the characteristics of gliding-skip flight orbit and cross-range maneuvering capability of the hypersonic glide vehicle (warhead) while confining its range to less 1 000 kilometers, in consideration of safety, and forcibly controlling the speed and altitude by means of delaying the start-up of the second-stage engine and rapidly changing the flight orbit in the active region," KCNA reported.
The agency added that the characteristics of the missile and its maneuverability were proved through the test-fire.
On Tuesday morning, Yonhap reported, citing the South Korean military, that Pyongyang launched an an unspecified ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan. The Japanese Defense Ministry later said the missile flew 650 kilometers (403 miles) at a maximum altitude of 100 kilometers and splashed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone.