North Korea fired an intermediate-range missile in a test overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported. North Korea's state-run television KRT said the missile was launched on October 3 from eastern North Korea and hit a target 1,000 km (621 miles) in the sea off the country's east coast. It said the drill was intended to train troops operating a hypersonic strategic weapon system and to assess the reliability, efficiency and mobility of the country's war deterrent. The launch was the latest in a series of North Korean weapons tests this year and came as tensions on the Korean peninsula escalated over a landmine blast in the Demilitarized Zone last month that wounded South Korean soldiers. South Korea's military said it had detected a ballistic missile launch by North Korea and assessed the missile had flown more than 700 km (435 miles) toward the sea off its eastern coast. #northkorea #southkorea #news