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SEOUL, April 14 (UPI) -- North Korea successfully test-fired the Hwasong-18, a new solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile that will "strike extreme uneasiness and horror" into the regime's enemies, state media reported Friday. Pyongyang has long sought to develop a solid-propellant ICBM, which analysts say would be more maneuverable and quicker to launch than liquid-fuel missiles, making it harder for missile defense systems to counter.
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The launch, which was detected Thursday by South Korean and Japanese defense officials, was overseen by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
Kim said the ICBM will "radically promote the effectiveness of [North Korea's] nuclear counterattack posture and bring about a change in the practicality of its offensive military strategy."
The KCNA report described the Hwasong-18 as a three-stage missile. Its first stage landed in waters six miles off the Hodo Peninsula on the North's east coast, while the second stage splashed down around 210 miles east of North Hamgyong Province, KCNA said. No details were provided about the missile's third stage.
The launch was the latest in a flurry of weapons tests by North Korea, which has responded angrily to large-scale U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises that began last month.
Kim said the allies are "imperiling the environment on the Korean Peninsula ... with their inveterate policy of aggression and threatening military moves," KCNA reported.
The new missile will "constantly strike extreme uneasiness and horror into them," Kim added.
A series of images released by state media showed the North Korean leader watching the launch with his young daughter Ju Ae, who has frequently been seen at her father's side since her first public appearance in November.
South Korea's military said Thursday the North had fired an "intermediate- or longer-range missile" that traveled around 620 miles before landing in the sea between Korea and Japan.
The launch prompted Tokyo to briefly issue an emergency alert telling residents of the northern island of Hokkaido to take cover.
The White House condemned the test shortly after it was detected and called on Pyongyang to return to the negotiating table.
"The door has not closed on diplomacy, but Pyongyang must immediately cease its destabilizing actions and instead choose diplomatic engagement," Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said.
North Korea has tested several ICBMs in the past, including a launch last month of its Hwasong-17 missile, but all have been powered by liquid-fuel rockets. Pyongyang also recently conducted trial runs of its Haeil underwater nuclear attack drone and unveiled new, smaller Hwasan-31 tactical nuclear warheads.
On Tuesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for "more practical and offensive" war deterrence measures while reviewing frontline military plans against South Korea.
Amid the rising tensions, the North has not responded to routine daily calls on an inter-Korean liaison channel over the past week, Seoul's Unification Ministry said Thursday.
