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State media on April 13 released this photo of Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, as he “guided the first test-fire of the new-type ICBM” it called the Hwasong-18. His daughter, Kim Ju-ae (left), and wife Ri Sol-ju (second from left), as well as sister Kim Yo-jong (fourth from left) were present at the launch, according to the Rodong Sinmun. (KCNA/Yonhap)

North Korean state-run media reported Friday that leader Kim Jong-un had “guided the first test-fire of the new-type ICBM,” which it called the Hwasong-18. The test involved “high-thrust solid-fuel engines for multi-stage missiles,” the Rodong Sinmun, the official organ of the ruling party, said in the report.

This is the first solid-fuel ICBM North Korea has ever purportedly tested. Solid fuel makes missiles quicker to launch and easier to hide. Such a weapon could present difficulties for South Korea’s “kill chain” system, which is designed to detect preparations for a missile launch in enough time to enable a preemptive strike.

State media on April 13 released this photo from the launch of what it called the “new-type ICBM, Hwasongpho-18.” The “first test-fire” of the launch was guided by leader Kim Jong-un, reported Rodong Sinmun. (KCNA/Yonhap)

State media on April 13 released this photo of Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, as he “guided the first test-fire of the new-type ICBM” it called the Hwasong-18. His daughter, Kim Ju-ae, and wife Ri Sol-ju, as well as sister Kim Yo-jong were present at the launch, according to the Rodong Sinmun. (KCNA/Yonhap)

After the first test launch of the Hwasong-18, the Rodong Sinmun described it as “the most powerful [way to defend] the security of the state” and as “another powerful nuclear attack means” at North Korea’s disposal.

Kim expressed “great satisfaction at the eye-opening successes,” the state-run paper said.

“The development of the new-type ICBM Hwasong-18 will extensively reform [North Korea’s] strategic deterrence components [. . .], radically promote the effectiveness of its nuclear counterattack posture and bring about a change in the practicality of its offensive military strategy,” he was quoted as saying.

State media on April 13 released this photo from the launch of what it called the “new-type ICBM, Hwasongpho-18.” The “first test-fire” of the launch was guided by leader Kim Jong-un, reported Rodong Sinmun. (KCNA/Yonhap)

State media on April 13 released this photo of Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, as he “guided the first test-fire of the new-type ICBM” it called the Hwasong-18. His daughter, Kim Ju-ae (left), accompanied him at the launch. (KCNA/Yonhap)

State media on April 13 released this photo from the launch of what it called the “new-type ICBM, Hwasongpho-18.” The “first test-fire” of the launch was guided by leader Kim Jong-un, reported Rodong Sinmun. (KCNA/Yonhap)

Photographs that ran in the Rodong Sinmun showed that Kim Jong-un was accompanied at the launch site by his wife Ri Sol-ju, his sister Kim Yo-jong and his daughter Kim Ju-ae.

The last missile test his daughter attended was a ballistic missile exercise modeled on a tactical missile strike held on March 19. Ju-ae has now joined her father at 11 public events reported in the Rodong Sinmun, starting with the test launch of the Hwasong-17 on Nov. 18 last year.

State media on April 13 released this photo from the launch of what it called the “new-type ICBM, Hwasongpho-18.” The “first test-fire” of the launch was guided by leader Kim Jong-un, reported Rodong Sinmun. (KCNA/Yonhap)

“The aim of the test-fire was to confirm the performance of the high-thrust solid-fuel engines for multi-stage missiles and the reliability of the stage-jettisoning technology [. . .] to estimate the military feasibility of the new strategic weapon system,” the party organ said.

“In consideration of the security of the neighboring countries and the safety of the multi-stage-separation of the missile during its flight in the territorial air, the test fire was conducted in the [manner] of applying the standard trajectory flying mode to its first stage and the vertical mode to the second and third stages, and of confirming the technological features of all the components of the weapon system by restricting the maximum speed of the missile through delayed stage separation and motor reactivation.”

State media on April 13 released this photo from the launch of what it called the “new-type ICBM, Hwasongpho-18.” This photo is captioned “first-stage separation.” (KCNA/Yonhap)

State media on April 13 released this photo from the launch of what it called the “new-type ICBM, Hwasongpho-18.” This photo is captioned “first-stage separation.” (KCNA/Yonhap)

The paper continued, “The test-fire had no adverse effect on the security of the neighboring countries. Its first stage safely landed in the waters 10 km off the Hodo Peninsula in Kumya County, South Hamgyong Province and the second stage in the waters 335 km east of Orang County, North Hamgyong Province.”

However, the Rodong Sinmun did not mention where the missile was launched from, how far it traveled or how high it reached in contrast with reports on other missile launches.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday that a ballistic missile of at least medium range was launched at a high angle from the vicinity of Pyongyang and flew for 1,000 km before landing in the waters off the eastern coast.

State media on April 13 released this photo from the launch of what it called the “new-type ICBM, Hwasongpho-18.” This photo is captioned “second-stage separation.” (KCNA/Yonhap)

State media on April 13 released this photo from the launch of what it called the “new-type ICBM, Hwasongpho-18.” This photo is captioned “third-stage separation.” (KCNA/Yonhap)

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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