Kim Jong Un attended 'successful' missile test
North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un showed up in person to see a missile launch on Tuesday, the first time he's attended one in years, according to state media on Wednesday.
It was later condemned by governments around the world.
The test was the second in less than a week of what state media called a "hypersonic missile," which would make good on Kim's vow to bolster the military with cutting-edge technology.
That as peace talks with South Korea and the U.S. have stalled.
State media called Tuesday's test "successful" and reported that Kim urged scientists to "... further accelerate the efforts to steadily build up the country's strategic military muscle both in quality and quantity and further modernize the army.”
Analysts say the main threat of hypersonic weapons is not speed, but maneuverability.
South Korean officials questioned the capabilities of last week’s test.
On Tuesday, however, they said the latest launch showed improved performance.
A ruling party newspaper published photos of Kim attending Tuesday’s launch on its front page, his first reported test attendance since March 2020.
The UN bans North Korea from ballistic missile and nuclear tests and have imposed sanctions over the programs.
Talks aimed at denuclearizing Pyongyang have stalled.
North Korea has said it’ll cooperate only if the U.S. and its allies stop what it calls “hostile policies” including sanctions or military drills.
