The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un oversaw a hypersonic missile launching drill on Sunday, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Monday.

The hypersonic missiles were launched from Ryokpho District in Pyongyang and flew in the northeast direction before hitting the targets 1,000 km away from the country's east coast, according to KCNA.

Kim said that "important achievements have been recently made in putting our nuclear forces on a practical basis and preparing them for an actual war."

"Why it is necessary is exemplified by the recent geopolitical crisis and complicated international events," KCNA quoted him as saying.

The missile launch followed a North Korean statement on Sunday that denounced the US strikes on Venezuela as a violation of that country's ⁠sovereignty.

The test-firing also came as the President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Lee Jae Myung travelled to Beijing on Sunday for a state visit to China from January 4 to 7. (Xinhua/Agencies)