![North Korea conducts second missile test in 2 days as Blinken visits region — this one was hypersonic, Pyongyang claims](https://assets2.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/10/11/0e13dd10-0973-42fe-8bf7-ca4887c93774/thumbnail/1200x630/40b42d469ef8ea38ec579f5cea0e5e16/kim-jong-un-2157772583.jpg?v=6ffea931a1e284729a23a55e2e39c4e9)
North Korea conducts second missile test in 2 days as Blinken visits region — this one was hypersonic, Pyongyang claims
CBSN
Seoul, South Korea — North Korea said Tuesday its latest weapons test was a new hypersonic intermediate-range missile designed to strike remote targets in the Pacific as leader Kim Jong Un vowed to further expand his collection of nuclear-capable weapons to counter rival nations.
The North Korean state media report came a day after South Korea's military said it detected North Korea launching a missile that flew 1,100 kilometers (685 miles) before landing in waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The launch, conducted weeks before Donald Trump returns as U.S. president, came off a torrid year in weapons testing.
North Korea demonstrated multiple weapons systems last year that can target its neighbors and the United States, including solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, and there are concerns that its military capabilities could advance further through technology transfers from Russia as the two countries align over the war in Ukraine.
![](/newspic/picid-6252001-20250207152954.jpg)
Beijing — China on Friday lashed out at what it called U.S. "coercion" after Panama declined to renew a key infrastructure agreement with Beijing following Washington's threat to take back the Panama Canal. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a briefing that China "firmly opposes the U.S. smearing and undermining the Belt and Road cooperation through means of pressure and coercion."