SEOUL: North Korea says it has conducted another hypersonic missile test, under the watch of its leader Kim Jong-un, BBC has reported.

State news agency KCNA said the missile fired on Tuesday had “precisely hit” a target some 1,000km away.

It marks North Korea’s third reported test of a hypersonic missile, which can avoid detection for longer than ballistic missiles, according to the report.

Two of the tests have happened within a week, after Kim vowed in a New Year speech to bolster Pyongyang’s defences.

South Korea and Japan both detected Tuesday’s launch, saying a missile had been fired from North Korea towards the sea.

KCNA news agency later said it was a hypersonic missile, which it described as having “superior manoeuvrability”.

The move drew condemnation from countries including the US, UK and France, who urged Pyongyang to stop its “destabilising actions”.

Hypersonic weapons usually fly towards targets at lower altitudes than ballistic missiles and can achieve more than five times the speed of sound – or about 6,200km/h (3,850mph).

(BBC)