The South Korean Defense Ministry said Friday it does not believe North Korea has the technology to launch a hypersonic weapon, rejecting the North's claim it had launched a second one on Wednesday.
Instead, it believes North Korea launched a regular ballistic missile that South Korea or the United States could intercept. It said the type of ballistic missile that was launched Wednesday was seen at a Pyongyang weapons exhibition in October.
North Korea's claims it had launched hypersonic weapons concerned other countries because they fly at Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound, and have increased maneuverability, making them more difficult to shoot down.
The North said it launched its first hypersonic missile in September and Wednesday was its second. It claimed Wednesday's missile flew 435 miles per hour and made a 75-mile lateral move.
However, South Korean officials believe these claims were propaganda aimed at North Korean citizens. The Defense Ministry's report said there did not appear to be any technological developments since the September missile, which itself was in an early stage.
Lee Choon Geun, honorary research fellow at South Korea's Science and Technology Policy Institute, said photos from both launches show the two missiles' upper parts look different. This could indicate either North Korea is testing two versions of the same missile or two different types of missiles.
The South Korean Defense Ministry's assessment is certain to anger North Korea. South Korea has previously avoided publicly disputing North Korea's weapons tests, apparently so as not to aggravate relations.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been calling for greater unity and improved weapons development in the face of pandemic-related difficulties. He has refused to return to disarmament talks with Washington and Seoul while maintaining tough anti-virus restrictions.
Wednesday's launch was North Korea's second claimed hypersonic missile test. Its state media said the missile made a 75-mile lateral movement before precisely hitting a target 435 miles away, and that the test confirmed the weapon's flight control and stability.
The weapon was on a wish list of sophisticated military assets that Kim unveiled early last year along with multi-warhead missiles, spy satellites, solid-fueled long-range missiles and underwater-launched nuclear missiles.
The ministry said South Korean missiles are superior to North Korea's in terms of the destructive power of their warheads and precision guidance.
South Korea's current liberal government has been pushing hard to improve ties with North Korea. But its appeasement policy has made little progress since a broader nuclear diplomacy between Pyongyang and Washington collapsed in 2019. South Korea is to elect a new president in March.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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