Kim Jong Un Hails Apparent Hypersonic Missile as 'Irresistible Force' and 'Incurable Headache' for Enemies

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has hailed an apparent hypersonic missile as an 'irresistible force' and an 'incurable headache' for his enemies, highlighting Pyongyang's efforts to develop weapons designed to make interception more difficult.

The remarks followed a missile test that North Korea presented as evidence of its growing military capabilities. The launch raised fresh concerns about the country's weapons programme and its potential to challenge missile defences in South Korea, Japan and the wider region.

However, North Korea's claims about its hypersonic technology remain difficult to verify independently. While such weapons are designed to travel at extreme speeds and manoeuvre during flight, analysts caution that a successful launch does not necessarily prove a missile can reliably evade modern air defences.

Kim Jong Un Praises New Weapon's Military Capabilities

According to CBS News, Kim supervised the test on Sunday, 20 September, accompanied by his teenage daughter, Kim Ju Ae, who has increasingly appeared alongside him at major military events.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported the results two days later, describing the launch as an important advance in the country's weapons development. Kim praised the new system as an 'irresistible force' and warned that its capabilities would create an 'incurable headache' for North Korea's adversaries.

The Reuters report said KCNA did not identify the weapon in its written announcement.

However, photographs showed Kim inspecting a monitor displaying the flight path of a missile labelled Hwasongpho-11Ma-1, while analysts assessed that the designation pointed to an upgraded short-range ballistic missile fitted with a hypersonic glide vehicle, potentially allowing it to change direction during flight and make interception more difficult.

How Far Did North Korea's New Missiles Travel?

South Korea's military reported detecting two short-range ballistic missiles launched from the Wonsan area on North Korea's eastern coast. The first travelled approximately 450 kilometres, while the second covered more than 600 kilometres before falling into the sea, according to South Korea's military.

Both missiles landed outside Japan's exclusive economic zone, while Japanese authorities lodged a formal protest, describing the launches as a threat to regional security. North Korea has not provided independently verifiable evidence of the weapon's full operational capabilities.

Hypersonic weapons generally travel at more than five times the speed of sound, while their ability to manoeuvre, rather than speed alone, can make them particularly difficult for conventional missile defence systems to intercept.

North Korea has pursued hypersonic technology since at least 2021 as part of Kim's broader effort to modernise its nuclear and conventional weapons.

However, the latest test does not establish whether the new system can consistently achieve hypersonic speeds, perform complex manoeuvres or evade interception under combat conditions. That distinction remains important because the weapon's precise capabilities have not been independently verified.

Missile Test Comes Amid Renewed Diplomatic Efforts

The missile test came as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung sought to revive dialogue with Pyongyang and reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula. According to Reuters, Lee has proposed a phased approach to negotiations, including easing sanctions in exchange for North Korea freezing its nuclear weapons programmes.

US President Donald Trump has also expressed interest in renewing direct talks with Kim, following their three meetings during his first presidential term. However, North Korea has given little indication that it is willing to resume negotiations and continues to reject demands that it abandon its nuclear arsenal.

The latest launch also followed Pyongyang's criticism of joint US-South Korean military exercises, which North Korea regards as preparations for an attack. Washington and Seoul have described their military cooperation as defensive.

Meanwhile, South Korea, Japan and the United States have reaffirmed their commitment to coordinating their response to North Korea's weapons programme. South Korea condemned the launches as violations of UN Security Council resolutions, according to AFP.

For South Korea and Japan, the immediate concern is whether North Korea's developing missile technology could make existing defence systems less effective.

Although Pyongyang has presented the test as a major technological achievement, independent verification of the missile's capabilities remains essential to determining the scale of the threat.