North Korea confirmed today that it had launched a “new type” of a solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Thursday, an unprecedented move for the country, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.

As Yonap reported, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called this structural major technological advance for his country’s weapons program.

All intercontinental ballistic missiles launched by Pyongyang until yesterday were powered by liquid fuel. The solid-fuel missiles, which North Korea has long sought to develop, are more stable and can be prepared and launched faster, making them harder for the enemy to detect and destroy.

The “new type of ICBM is a major advance in North Korea’s nuclear counterattack capabilities,” Mr. Kim commented, according to Yonhap.

Already yesterday, the South Korean military had estimated that Pyongyang “launched a new type of ballistic missile, possibly with solid fuel”.

During a military parade in the capital in February, North Korea displayed an unprecedented number of missiles, including what analysts say is a new solid-fuel ICBM.

The announcement comes on the eve of one of the most important political anniversaries in North Korea – the “Day of the Sun” – on April 15.

It is the anniversary of the birth of North Korea’s founder, Kim Il Sung, which is generally celebrated with major weapons tests and/or military parades.