S Korea doubts North Korea possess hypersonic missile

North Korea's claims regarding a successful test of a hypersonic missile this week "appear exaggerated,'' the South Korean Defence Ministry said on Friday.

In casting doubt on the claimed range and sideways manoeuvrability of the missile, the ministry said it had come to the conclusion that Pyongyang did not yet possess hypersonic missile technology.

North Korea earlier said it had successfully conducted a second test of a hypersonic missile within four months.

It claimed that the missile, which was fired on Wednesday, had conducted a sideways manoeuvre over 120 kilometres and hit a target in the Sea of Japan 700 kilometres from its launch site.

Analysis by South Korea has come to the conclusion that the distance was shorter and that the missile reached an altitude of 50 kilometres.

The test showed no progress from the first test conducted in September, according to the South Korean Defence Ministry.

A ministry official told the Yonhap news agency that the missile could have been "a standard ballistic missile'' as initially assumed by South Korea and Japan following Wednesday's launch.

By contrast, the weapon tested by North Korea in September had shown characteristics of a hypersonic glide missile, he said.

United Nations resolutions ban North Korea from testing missiles that could carry a nuclear warhead.

Hypersonic missiles, which reach five times the speed of sound and are difficult to detect, could possibly also carry a warhead of this kind.

The UN Security Council was to meet in New York on Monday to discuss North Korea's most recent missile test, dpa has learned from Council sources.