The EU condemns the launch on 6 January of a new hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missile by the Democratic Peopleʼs Republic of Korea (DPRK), which Pyongyang claims was equipped with a hypersonic warhead.
This was reported by the European Commissionʼs spokesperson for foreign policy Anita Gipper.
The statement said this violates numerous UN Security Council resolutions and further increases tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The EU stands in solidarity with its partners in the region, including the Republic of Korea and Japan. The bloc calls on the DPRK to cease such illegal and escalating actions and accept offers of dialogue.
This is the only path to lasting peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.
What preceded
The report notes that the missile was launched on January 6 from a test range near the North Korean capital, Pyongyang. It traveled 1,500 kilometers at a speed 12 times the speed of sound. During launch, it reached two maximum altitudes — 99.8 and 42.5 kilometers, followed a predetermined trajectory, and fell into open waters.
In South Korea, Japan and the United States, the missileʼs flight range was estimated at 1,100 kilometers, noting that it did not reach a second peak at an altitude of 42.5 kilometers.
The South Korean military did not rule out that the DPRK could have received technological assistance from Russia during the development of the new missile.
South Koreaʼs Yonhap news agency reported that North Korea first test-fired a hypersonic missile in September 2021, but it was deemed a failure. The North last reported a test of a medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile in April 2024. South Korea also dismissed the claims as "exaggerated."
- In October 2024, North Korea conducted its longest test of an intercontinental ballistic missile, lasting 87 minutes. The missile reached an altitude of 7,000 kilometers and had a range of 1,000 kilometers.
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