On Wednesday, June 26, North Korea fired a ballistic missile toward the East Sea, but the launch was unsuccessful - the missile exploded in the air.
Yonhap reports.
The South Korean military recorded the launch of a missile from an area in or around Pyongyang at approximately 5:30 a.m.(local time). It is noted that North Korea could have conducted a test launch of a hypersonic missile.
A military source told Yonhap that the North appeared to have tested a hypersonic missile, but the test is believed to have failed after the missile flew about 250 kilometers.
Later, a JCS official said that the military is considering the possibility of a hypersonic missile launch, noting that the missile exploded in midair over waters off the North's east coast.
"Smoke appeared to emanate from the missile more than previous launches, the official said, raising the possibility of combustion issues. The official added the missile could possibly be powered by solid propellants," the report said.
Yonhap adds that the launch came after the DPRK criticized the arrival of the U.S. aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in South Korea and warned of "overwhelming and new" deterrence measures against what it called a "provocative" act.
Earlier, we also reported that during his two-day visit to North Korea, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with Kim Jong Un, which provides for "immediate" mutual assistance in the event of aggression against one of the parties.