North Korea test fired a long-range missile last week claiming it to be larger with a longer range than the previously tested one in 2017. However, South Korea’s military on Tuesday denied the claims saying that it is likely Pyongyang did not test a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile.

The missile used in the March 24 test was likely a modified version of a Hwasong-15 ICBM, not the larger Hwasong-17 ICBM, a South Korean military spokesperson told VOA on Tuesday.

Even if the missile is not the larger Hwasong-17 ICBM, it still may represent a technological improvement.

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The Kim Jong Un regime announced launching the big, new ICBM, which it claimed is capable of reaching the US mainland. 

Japanese and South Korean officials slammed the move. They also said that the missile traveled further and went higher than any of North Korea’s previous ICBM launches.

A day after test firing the ICBM, the state-run television released an edited video showing Kim guiding the launch. The North Korean government on Friday released pictures showing Kim celebrating as the missile took off. The video included slow-motion clips and flashy edits of Kim, who wore a black leather jacket and sunglasses.

The footage immediately went viral, with social media users noting that Kim appeared to be mimicking “Maverick,” the main character in the 1986 Hollywood film “Top Gun.”

Also Read | North Korea’s long-range ballistic missile launch concerns US, Japan

Kim said that the test was designed to demonstrate the might of its nuclear force and deter any US military moves around the country.

US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida “strongly condemned” North Korea‘s launch in talks on the sidelines of the Group of Seven meeting in Brussels, a White House official said.

The two leaders “stressed the need for diplomacy, and agreed to continue working together to hold the DPRK accountable,” the official said.