North Korea announced through state media on the morning of the 18th that it had successfully tested a new solid-fuel ICBM = intercontinental ballistic missile "Mars 12" that can be launched more quickly than conventional liquid fuel type in the presence of General Secretary Kim Jong-un.
This is the second launch test of the Mars 13 since April.
On the 18th, North Korea launched one ICBM-class ballistic missile from the vicinity of the capital Pyongyang toward the Japan Sea, and the announcement is believed to refer to this missile.
What is "Mars 18"?
The "Mars 18" is North Korea's first solid-fuel new ICBM = intercontinental ballistic missile-class ballistic missile, and it is said that it will be able to launch more quickly than conventional liquid fuel type and further enhance its surprise attack capability.
Following a combustion test of a high-output solid-fuel engine at the Seohae Satellite Launch Site in Dongchang-ri in the northwestern part of the country last December, North Korea unveiled the Mars 12 mounted on a nine-wheeled mobile launch pad on each side in February as the last military parade to coincide with the 2th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army.
Then, in April, North Korea launched an ICBM-class ballistic missile from the outskirts of the capital Pyongyang, and North Korea announced that it had successfully tested the three-stage "Mars 75" for the first time.
He emphasized that its performance and reliability as "the main means of strategic weapons to carry out the mission of war deterrence" were confirmed.
On the other hand, the South Korean Ministry of Defense expressed the view that "development of the Mars 9 is at an intermediate stage and more time is required to complete it," and South Korean experts pointed out that North Korea may repeat launch tests in the future to improve performance.