SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea's missile chief said South Korea's newly tested hypersonic glide vehicle may not have achieved hypersonic flight as claimed, state media KCNA reported on Thursday.
Jang Chang Ha, head of North Korea's Missile Administration, said photographs released by South Korea after its October 8 test showed no visible signs associated with hypersonic flight.
"It is hard to believe that it underwent hypersonic flight circumstances characterised by extremely high temperatures as its outside appearance is so clean with its coating paint remaining intact, not stained with any soot," said Jang.
Responding to the North Korean remarks, South Korea's Defence Ministry said in a statement that the missile was designed with heat-resistant materials, which is why it didn't have any soot.
"Going forward, our military plans to further advance the related technologies as it moves to weaponise the HGV, a key strategic asset for future security," the ministry said.
Hypersonic weapons typically travel at more than five times the speed of sound, often at relatively low altitudes, with analysts noting their main feature as manoeuvrability to hit targets.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung oversaw the country's first hypersonic test-firing last month, the presidential office said.
The rare public showcasing of a missile test by a South Korean president came amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula and a race to develop weapons capable of evading missile defences.
(Reporting by Kyu-seok Shim and Heejin Kim; Editing by Toby Chopra and Ed Davies)
