North Korea fires suspected hypersonic missile into East Sea

The missile was launched ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) told Yonhap news agency it detected the launch of a suspected intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) at about 12 p.m. from the Pyongyang area and it flew some 1,100 kilometers before splashing into the sea

While the missile's flight distance fell shorter than the conventional IRBM range of 3,000 to 5,500 km, it is believed to be similar to North Korea's IRBMs tipped with hypersonic warheads that were launched in January and April last year, a JCS official told the South Korean news agency.

If confirmed to be a hypersonic missile, it would be the farthest distance covered by a North Korean missile of its kind, reported Yonhap.

The missiles are believed to have the potential to hit US military bases in Guam if fired in full range.

The missile was launched at a time when US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was visiting Seoul for talks on efforts to deter North Korean threats.