North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has personally overseen the final ground test of a new solid-fuel engine designed for intercontinental ballistic missiles, state media said Tuesday.

Pyongyang has developed several intercontinental missiles with a flight radius capable of reaching the US mainland, with solid-fuel models viewed as particularly dangerous. Analysts say the announcement signals the program is now ready for a full missile test, possibly before the end of the year.

What is North Korea’s latest missile test about?

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) described the event as the ninth and last development test of the system.

It was a "ground jet test of high-thrust solid-fuel engine using the composite carbon fiber material." KCNA said.

Images released showed Kim watching the engine fire through binoculars, with a long red flame stretching across the ground.

The news agency quoted Kim as saying that the new rocket engine "heralds a significant change in expanding and strengthening the nuclear strategic forces" of North Korea.

KCNA claimed the engine reached a thrust of 1,971 kilonewtons — a figure that would be extraordinarily high by international standards, but not verified.

Why are solid-fuel tests a concern for the West?

Solid-fuel technology is seen a particular threat because it allows missiles to be fueled in advance, making them faster to deploy and harder to detect than liquid-fuel versions.

Yang Moo-jin, former president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, told the AFP news agency that the test "indicates the production of a solid-fuel engine to be used for the new ICBM."

Pyongyang’s description of the "last" stage of development hinted at "a probable test launch of its new ICBM soon," Yang said, describing a launch this year as highly plausible.

The test came just a week after Pyongyang unveiled its Hwasong-20, billed as a next-generation ICBM. It also followed Kim's trip to Beijing for a World War II commemoration parade alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

North Korea has deepened its cooperation with Moscow since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sending thousands of troops and weapons shipments. In return, analysts believe Pyongyang has been receiving technical expertise and financial aid that could accelerate its missile program.

Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher