North Korea has said it successfully tested a recently developed solid-fuel engine, claiming the trial would pave the way to a “new strategic weapon system” after its military outlined plans to produce an upgraded intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
The test was carried out on Thursday morning at the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground in the coastal region of Cholsan, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
“The Academy of Defence Science succeeded in the static firing test of a high-thrust solid-fuel engine with a thrust of 140tf [ton-force], the first of its kind in the country,” the outlet said, adding that the “reliability and safety” of the new propulsion system were “scientifically confirmed.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who was present for the test-firing, praised the military after the trial, saying that he expects “another new type of strategic weapon to appear in the shortest period of time.”
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