North Korea confirmed on Good Friday that it had launched a “new type” of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Good Thursday, a first for the country, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

According to the same source, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un described this important structural technological breakthrough for his country’s weapons program.

All intercontinental ballistic missiles launched by Pyongyang until yesterday were liquid-fueled. Solid rockets, which North Korea has long been trying to develop, they are more stable and can be provisioned and launched fasterwhich makes them difficult to detect and destroy by the enemy.

“The new type of intercontinental ballistic missile is a significant step forward in North Korea’s nuclear counteroffensive,” Kim said, according to the agency.

Already on Maundy Thursday, the South Korean military estimated that Pyongyang “launched a new type of ballistic missile, possibly with solid fuel.”

During a military parade in the capital in February, North Korea displayed an unprecedented number of missiles, including what analysts say is a new solid-fueled ICBM.

The announcement was made on the eve of one of the most important political anniversaries in North Korea – “Day of the Sun” – April 15.

This is the birth anniversary of North Korea’s founder Kim Il Sung, which is usually celebrated with major weapons tests and/or military parades.

Source: RES-IPE