N. Korea announces launch of hypersonic missile

North Korea announced recently for the first time that it launched a new hypersonic missile.

This came after South Korea announced Tuesday that North Korea had fired an unidentified projectile into the East Sea.

The North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the country's Academy of Defense Science conducted the first test fire of the hypersonic Hwasong-8 missile from Toyang-ri, Jagang Province, on Tuesday.

Scientists confirmed the navigational control and stability of the missile in the active section and its technical specifications, KCNA said

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not attend the launch of the new missile, according to KCNA.

He previously announced the missile's launch at a conference of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in January.