North Korea conducts fresh ‘hypersonic missile’ launch

Second launch in less than a week designed to put pressure on US and follows condemnation at UN

North Korea has test-fired a suspected ballistic missile that may be an improved version of a hypersonic missile" it launched only last week, in a move designed to increase pressure on the US amid stalled nuclear talks and mounting economic problems for the regime.

Tuesday's launch was detected at 7.27am on Tuesday from an inland area of North Korea toward the ocean off its east coast, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement.