"We are aware of these reports.
We are working to confirm the specific nature of the recent launch event and consulting closely with our allies," the spokesperson said.
"We take reports of any new capability seriously, and as we've said, we condemn any illicit missile launches, which are destabilizing to the region and to the international community," the statement said.
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North Korea has claimed that it successfully tested a new hypersonic missile called Hwasong-8 on Tuesday.
ReplyDeleteState media said the new missile was one of "five most important" new weapons systems laid out in its five-year military development plan.
They called the new missile a "strategic weapon", which usually means it has nuclear capabilities.
Tuesday's launch is another indication of Pyongyang's growing weapons technology amid strict sanctions.
"The development of this weapons system...[has increased] the nation's capabilities for self-defence in every way," North Korean state news outlet KCNA said.
The latest launch also marked the country's third missile test this month. It has already revealed a new type of cruise missile, as a well as a new train-launched ballistic missile system.
Hypersonic missiles are much faster and more agile than normal ones, making them much harder for missile defence systems to intercept, according to news agency AFP.
KCNA stated that the test launch confirmed the "navigational control and stability of the missile".
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had at an earlier meeting in January declared that scientists had "finished research" into developing hypersonic gliding warheads.