North Korea Tests New Solid-Fuel Ballistic Missile

On Thursday, the missile tested by North Korea was reportedly a new solid-fuel ballistic missile that was displayed during a military parade in February. This was reported by Yonhap, citing South Korean military officials according to TASS.

“Based on today’s information, we believe that a new ballistic missile has been launched with medium or longer range capabilities. We assess that this is one of the systems displayed during the parade,” said a spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The agency notes that a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile was showcased during the February parade in Pyongyang.

Additionally, the Joint Chiefs of Staff committee does not rule out that North Korea's current tests could be linked to preparations for launching a satellite. Earlier, North Korean authorities announced plans to complete work on a reconnaissance satellite by April.

On Thursday, South Korean military officials reported that a medium or long-range ballistic missile was launched towards the Sea of Japan from the outskirts of Pyongyang at 07:23 local time (02:23 Yerevan time). According to Seoul, the projectile flew approximately 1,000 km. The agency does not rule out the possibility that an intercontinental missile was fired.