As a part of the efforts to bolster the just right to self-defence to reliably defend the security of our state and regional peace from the disaster of a nuclear war and thoroughly deter the dangerous military moves of the hostile forces, the General Missile Bureau conducted the test-fire of new-type ICBM Hwasongpho-18, the core weapon system of the strategic force of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on July 12.

The test-fire was conducted according to the strategic judgment and crucial decision of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) at a grave period when the military security situation on the Korean peninsula and in the region has reached the phase of nuclear crisis beyond the Cold War era as the U.S. and its vassal forces' unprecedented military provocations against the DPRK have been intensified.

The U.S. cooked up the "Washington Declaration", a programme for nuclear confrontation with the DPRK, in April. It is openly planning to discuss the use of nuclear weapons against our state through a meeting of the U.S.-south Korea "Nuclear Consultative Group" which will be the parent body of the U.S.-Japan-south Korea "tripartite nuclear alliance". It is driving the regional situation to the brink of an unprecedented nuclear war, while frequently deploying nuclear-powered submarine and nuclear strategic bomber around the Korean peninsula and its vicinity under the pretext of increased "visibility" of the U.S. strategic assets.

What merits more serious attention is that the U.S., resorting to extremely provocative aerial espionage acts even by encroaching upon the sovereign territory of the DPRK, is planning to bring nuclear weapons to the Korean peninsula again by sending a U.S. nuclear submarine carrying strategic nukes to south Korea for the first time after 40 years.

Such reckless military moves of the U.S. constitute the provocative act with aggressive nature pushing the situation on the Korean peninsula to the actual situation of armed conflict from A to Z, far beyond the constant military readiness posture targeting its belligerent party, and have irreversible negative impact on the regional military and political situation and security structure.

The present situation, in which the U.S. and south Korea's frantic confrontational attempts that will bring a new chain of nuclear crises to the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia are nearing an intolerable critical point, requires the DPRK to put spurs to bolstering the capability for self-defence and strengthening the nuclear war deterrence for self-defence in order to deter the reckless political and military provocations of the hostile forces by physical force and to impregnably defend itself.

The test-fire is an essential process aimed at further developing the strategic nuclear force of the Republic and, at the same time, serves as a strong practical warning to clearly show the adversaries, which make clearer the policy of nuclear threat to the DPRK, the unwavering will to overwhelmingly counter them and the entity of physical strength, and to make the enemies clearly realize once again how risky and reckless their anti-DPRK military option is.

Kim Jong Un, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, personally guided the test-fire of a new-type ICBM Hwasongpho-18 on the spot.

The test-fire was aimed at re-confirming the technical creditability and operational reliability of the new-type ICBM weapon system.

In consideration of the security of the neighboring countries and the stability of domestic in-flight multi-stage separation, the test-fire was conducted in the way of setting the first stage as a standard ballistic flight mode and the second and third stages as high-angle flight mode and of confirming the technical characteristics of every component of the weapon system in the maximum range system.

When the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un mounted the central command observation post to approve the test-fire of a new-type strategic weapon, General Kim Jong Sik issued a launch order to the Second Red Flag Company under the General Missile Bureau in charge of the test-fire mission.

The moment, a huge body  began soaring into the sky with a shower of fire in its tail, making a deafening explosion to signal the emergence of the entity of the strategic weapon fully loaded with the strength and technology of the DPRK.

The test-fire had no negative effect on the security of the neighboring countries.

The missile traveled up to a maximum altitude of 6 648.4 km and flew a distance of 1 001.2 km for 4 491s before accurately landing on the preset area in the open waters off the East Sea of Korea.

All the new records confirmed through the test-fire proved the capability, reliability and military utility of the new-type strategic weapon system and verified the undoubted dependability of the nuclear strategic force of the DPRK.

The Hwasongpho-18 weapon system, equipped and operated by the strategic force of the DPRK under the long-term plan for building the state nuclear force, will perform its mission and duty as the most powerful, core main force means for thoroughly deterring and overwhelmingly responding to diverse threats of a nuclear war and provocative acts of aggression against the DPRK and for reliably defending the security of the DPRK.

Expressing great satisfaction over the results of the test-fire, the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un said with pleasure that this eventual success which fully demonstrated the might of the DPRK fully equipped with the firm nuclear war deterrence for self-defence and the overwhelming offensive power serves as another important stride in developing the strategic force of the DPRK.

Noting that the present unstable situation in which the security environment on the Korean peninsula is being seriously threatened by the hostile forces every moment requires more intense efforts to implement the line of bolstering nuclear war deterrent set forth by the Eighth Congress of the WPK, he clarified again that there will be no change and vacillation in the strategic line and policy of the WPK and the DPRK government to steadily accelerate the development of more developed, effective and reliable weapon system.

Saying that as the reality shows, it is a recognized law that only more surprising events will be ceaselessly recorded in the DPRK's advance for bolstering the national defence capability, given the hostile forces' ever-escalating military threat and challenges, he reaffirmed that a series of stronger military offensives will be launched until the U.S. imperialists and the south Korean puppet traitors admit the shameful defeat of their useless hostile policy toward the DPRK in despair and give up their policy.

He set forth the strategic tasks for the sector of the national defence science in dynamically promoting the bolstering of the nuclear strategic force of the DPRK.

He extended warm congratulations and thanks to all the scientists and technicians in the national defence scientific research field who made a history of eternal victory for the times and future through the great success in the test of new strategic weapon system ahead of the 70th anniversary of the significant day of war victory the great Korean people won by totally shattering the myth of the "mightiness" of the U.S. imperialists.

All the national defence scientists made a firm pledge to fulfill the important mission and duty they assumed before the Party, revolution, country and people.