North Korea launches new intercontinental ballistic missile

According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, on Thursday morning (13) a test of a ballistic missile carried out by North Korea, the missile was fired at sea. This Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is powered by solid fuel.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un guided the first test launch of the new ICBM and he said the launch had “no negative impact” on the security of neighboring countries.

Solid fuel ICBMs are the next generation world standard and are also more easily powered and can be launched faster than a liquid fuel rocket.

According to state media KCNA, Hwasong-18 “will defend North Korea, suppress invasions, and protect the nation’s security.”, and also noted that Kim expressed great satisfaction with conducting the test.

---

_{Missile launch at an undisclosed location in North Korea (Photo: Reproduction / KCNA via REUTERS)}

---

According to the agency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea reported the launch of the projectile over the East Sea, which is also known as the Sea of ​​Japan.

In the northern region of Hokkaido Island, authorities asked residents to seek shelter in a building or underground. The alert issued by the authorities told them to evacuate immediately. Islanders were fearful, but that fear later turned to anger and confusion as the evacuation order was eventually lifted amid reports that it had been sent in error.

According to the country’s authorities, the missile did not land in Japanese territory. Then they confirmed that the artifact had fallen outside Japanese territory, over the waters off the east coast of the Korean peninsula.

A military official reported that the South Korean military said at the time that it believed Pyongyang was testing a new ballistic missile that had been displayed at a military parade.

Featured Photo: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Photo: Reproduction/KCNA via KNS/AFP)