North Korea says it test

A missile is launched by the North Korean military, Thursday. North Korea said Friday that it test-fired new tactical guided missiles. Yonhap

North Korea said Friday it test-fired new tactical guided missiles a day earlier, confirming the launch of ballistic missiles for the first time in about a year.

On Thursday, South Korea's military said the North fired what appeared to be two short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea, raising concerns that the missiles banned under the U.N. Security Council resolutions could sharply escalate tensions.

The latest launch came as the Joe Biden administration prepares to announce a new policy on the North.

"The newly developed new-type tactical guided projectile is a weapon system whose warhead weight has been improved to be 2.5 tons with the use of the core technology of tactical guided projectile that was already developed," the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

North Korea's military officials smile as they watch the missile test, Thursday. Yonhap

The Academy of Defence Science conducted the launch and was "very successful just as it had been confidently predicted," according to the KCNA.

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The KCNA added that the "reliability of the improved version of solid fuel engine was confirmed through several engine ground jet tests and their test-firing processes, and that the irregular orbit features of low altitude gliding leap type flight mode already applied to other guided projectile were also re-confirmed."

Observers say the North could have tested an upgraded version of its KN-23 missile, which resembles Russia's Iskander, showcased during a military parade in Pyongyang in January.

The launch was guided by Ri Pyong-chol, vice chairman of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party, officials of the Department of Munitions Industry of the Party Central Committee and senior officials in the sector of national defense scientific research.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not oversee the missile testing.

Thursday's launches came four days after the country fired two cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea on Sunday.

The latest launch also came as the Biden administration was completing its North Korea policy review.

The U.S. president said Thursday that the United States will "respond accordingly" should North Korea continue to escalate tensions, noting the launch of ballistic missiles was in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

This marks the North's first launch of ballistic missile since Biden took office.

North Korea last fired a ballistic missile in March 2020. (Yonhap)