North Korea claims ‘miraculous success’ in launch of most advanced missile ever

Kim Jong-un vows to ‘strike extreme horror’ on rivals

North Korea boasted of the “miraculous success” of its most powerful missile ever as it confirmed the launch of a new solid-fuel Hwasong-18.

Pyongyang had carried out the missile test on Thursday, prompting Japan to order the evacuation of citizens on Hokkaido island – a warning that was later retracted – and sending South Korea scrambling to analyse the type of weapon.

It was Pyongyang’s first test of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) – a more advanced type than the liquid-fuelled ICBMs it currently operates. A solid-fuel ICBM can be fired more quickly and are harder to detect when having intercontinental targets, such as the US.