Suspected North Korean hypersonic missile explodes in flight

A suspected hypersonic missile launched by North Korea exploded in flight on Wednesday, South Korea‘s military said, as North Korea protests the regional deployment of a US aircraft carrier for a military drill with South Korea and Japan.

Later on Wednesday, South Korea conducted live-fire drills along its disputed western sea boundary with North Korea, its first since it suspended a 2018



agreement with the North aimed at reducing frontline military tensions in early June.

The North Korean missile was launched at about 5.30 am and aimed toward the North’s eastern waters before the failure, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. Missile fragments were scattered in the water up to 250 km from the launch site near North Korea’s capital, it said. No damage was immediately reported.