North Korea has tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system, Seoul said Friday, with the US threatening fresh sanctions over the "serious escalation".

Pyongyang had claimed the two recent tests were of components of a "reconnaissance satellite" but the US and Seoul said they were of a so-called "monster" missile first showcased at a parade in 2020.

From hypersonics to cruise missiles, North Korea embarked on a string of launches earlier this year while threatening to restart long-range and nuclear tests.

Such tests had been put on hold while leader Kim Jong Un embarked on high-level negotiations with then US president Donald Trump, but talks collapsed in 2019 and have been stalled ever since.

What new capacity has leader Kim Jong Un's regime developed? AFP takes a look at North Korea's long-range ballistic missile technology:

Hwasong-12

Intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs), which are rocket-propelled for the first stage of flight, have a range of about 3,000-5,500 kilometres (1,800-3,400 miles).

North Korea's main IRBM is called the Hwasong-12, a missile powerful enough to hit the US territory of Guam. This is what it test-fired on January 30.

Pyongyang first successfully tested the Hwasong-12 in May 2017.

Under current UN Security Council sanctions, it is banned from testing any ballistic missiles.

Hwasong-14 & Hwasong-15

Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) have a minimum range of 5,500 kilometres (3,400 miles) and are primarily designed for nuclear weapons delivery.

North Korea has tested ICMBs three times -- all in 2017 during a period of "fire and fury" when Kim and Trump traded insults and threats.

Pyongyang first tested the Hwasong-14 that year, claiming it reached an altitude of 2,802 km and flew 933 km during a successful test.

The launch date of July 4 coincided with US Independence Day, a gift for the "American bastards".

It tested the missile again at a lofted trajectory three weeks later.

North Korea continued its ICBM testing with the even more powerful Hwasong-15, a missile capable of reaching the US mainland.

Pyongyang claimed that during the November 2017 test it reached an altitude of around 4,475 km and travelled 950 km.

Hwasong-17

First unveiled on a 22-wheeled vehicle at a military parade in October 2020, the Hwasong-17, dubbed a "monster" missile by analysts, was seen as a new iteration of Hwasong-15, with technical improvements.

While it has yet to be test-fired, the US and South Korea have assessed that the North's two launches in early 2022 -- one on February 27 and one on March 5 -- "involved a new intercontinental ballistic missile system", likely components of the Hwasong-17.

North Korea had claimed the tests were of components for a reconnaissance satellite.

The Hwasong-17 is believed to have the capacity to carry multiple warheads, making it harder to intercept.

North Korea has not demonstrated this capability before.

Experts now expect Pyongyang to test-fire the Hwasong-17 -- likely disguised as a space rocket -- on April 15, the 110th birth anniversary of Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea.

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
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