Kim oversees North Korean missile launch near Wonsan

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a missile launch near the eastern coastal city of Wonsan early Saturday, with South Korea’s military reporting that the missile travelled more than 700 kilometres. North Korean state media said the drill trained soldiers operating a hypersonic strategic weapon system and described the missile as using artificial intelligence to change its flight path at low altitude. The claimed guidance capability has not been independently verified in the reports. Kim’s sister said the missile could alter its orbit at low altitude and that there was “no way to avoid” an attack. South Korea’s defence ministry disputed that assessment, saying the missile was within the detection and interception capabilities of South Korean and US defensive assets. The competing claims were not independently resolved. South Korea’s military said the missile was launched from near Wonsan and flew more than 700 kilometres. Japan’s defence ministry separately estimated a range of about 680 kilometres. The reports did not explain the difference between the two estimates.