The launch came just hours after Pyongyang sent hundreds of new balloons laden with trash to South Korea, which led to the temporary suspension of departures and arrivals at Incheon airport, near Seoul.
The missile was fired from North Korean territory at around 5:30 am (9:30 pm on Tuesday in Lisbon) and South Korean and North American intelligence services have been carrying out a detailed analysis since then. launch, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.
According to a JCS official, cited by the France-Presse news agency, Pyongyang appears to have tested a hypersonic missile, although the firing failed after a flight of around 250 kilometers that ended with an explosion.
The same source said that an unusual amount of smoke appeared to be coming from the missile, which raises the possibility of combustion problems.
The missile may have been powered by solid fuel, the official said.
Japan also confirmed the launch and the Japanese coast guard said that the missile ended up falling into the Sea of Japan.
North Korea's last missile launch had been on May 30, when Seoul accused Pyongyang of firing a salvo of about ten short-range ballistic missiles.
The following day, North Korean state media released images of leader Kim Jong-un participating in tests of a multiple rocket launch system.
Analysts suggest that North Korea may be increasing missile production to supply Russia as part of the war in Ukraine, according to a report released last month by the US Department of Defense.
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