Iran Press/ Asia: The launch on Wednesday was the first by North Korea since October and was detected by several militaries in the region, drawing criticism from governments in the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
North Korea first tested a hypersonic missile in September, joining a race headed by major military powers to deploy the advanced weapons system.
Unlike ballistic missiles that fly into outer space before returning on steep trajectories, hypersonic weapons fly towards targets at lower altitudes and can achieve more than five times the speed of sound - or about 6,200 km per hour.
"The successive successes in the test launches in the hypersonic missile sector have strategic significance in that they hasten a task for modernizing strategic armed force of the state," the KCNA report said.
In Wednesday's test, the "hypersonic gliding warhead" detached from its rocket booster and maneuvered 120 km laterally before it "precisely hit" a target 700 km away, KCNA reported.
The test also confirmed components such as flight control and its ability to operate in the winter, KCNA added.
The missile demonstrated its ability to combine "multi-step glide jump flight and strong lateral maneuvering," KCNA said.
More maneuverable missiles and warheads are likely aimed at being able to overcome missile defenses like those wielded by South Korea and the United States, analysts have said.
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