North Korea carried out its first intercontinental ballistic missile tests in five years - as Kim Jong-un reportedly eyes up turning the country into a "space power", it is claimed.
The latest tests have been branded a "serious escalation" by officials in the US, with missile defence systems placed in a state of "enhanced readiness".
North Korea prompted alarm by firing missiles on February 26 and March 4 - the first ICBM tests it has carried out since 2017.
At the time leaders claimed they were trying to launch a new satellite system, and today state media said Kim is anxious to create an "ultramodern" base capable of launching space missions.
But intelligence chiefs from the US, South Korea and Japan believe the satellite excuse was used to disguise the development of devastating new weapons.
A senior US administration official told reporters: “This is a serious escalation by the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea).
“These launches are a brazen violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, vehemently raise tensions, and risk destabilising the security situation."
The official continued, The Guardian reports: “These launches are likely intended to test elements of this new system before the DPRK conducts a launch at full range, which they will potentially attempt to disguise as a space launch.”
The source said there would be "a range of further actions" in the coming days.
Experts believe that the weapon tested earlier this month has a range of around 1,000 miles, the Washington Post reports.
A statement from the US Department of Defence said: "The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) conducted two ballistic missile tests on February 26 and March 4, 2022 EST.
"Based on analysis of these launches, the United States Government has concluded that these launches involved a new Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) system that the DPRK is developing, which was originally unveiled during the Korean Workers Party parade on October 10, 2020.
"The purpose of these tests, which did not demonstrate ICBM range, was likely to evaluate this new system before conducting a test at full range in the future, potentially disguised as a space launch."
It said that the international community "must speak in a united voice" in the aftermath of the attacks.
Meanwhile North Korea continues to maintain it is working on its space programme.
Today state media said Kim had called for the expansion of the site for launching intercontinental ballistic missiles.
He said it wants to turn the Sohae Satellite Launching Ground into an "ultramodern, advanced" base in order to become a space power, state media KCNA reported.
Kim inspected the base and ordered modernising and expanding it to ensure that "various rockets could be launched to carry
multi-purpose satellites, including a military reconnaissance satellite," the KCNA report said.
"It is the noble duty ... to turn the launching ground, associated with our state's great dream and ambition for a space power, into an ultramodern advanced base and a starting line of space conquest for the future," Kim was quoted as saying.
