North Korea claims to have test-fired a new tactical guided missile.

According to Yonhap, the South Korean military previously stated that on March 25, North Korea appeared to have launched two short-range ballistic missiles into the sea east of the Korean Peninsula, raising concerns that these were missiles banned under United Nations Security Council resolutions.

According to a statement from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the new weapon is based on existing technology but has been improved to carry a 2.5-ton warhead. Two missiles struck targets 600 kilometers off the country's east coast.

Japanese and South Korean officials estimate that the North Korean missile traveled approximately 420-450 kilometers.

According to KCNA, the Academy of Defense Science conducted the test and it was as successful as expected.

KCNA quoted Ri Pyong Chol, a senior North Korean leader who oversaw the test, as saying: "The development of this weapon system is of paramount importance in boosting North Korea's military strength and repelling any military threats."

The photos released by KCNA show the missile, painted in white and black, being launched from a military vehicle.

According to missile experts at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies in California, USA, a missile appears to have been displayed during a large military parade in Pyongyang last October.

If the information is confirmed, the missile that North Korea tested yesterday could be an improved version of the KN-23 missile with an "extremely large warhead," according to Jeffrey Lewis of the James Martin Center.

KCNA reported that yesterday's test confirmed the missile's ability to perform low-altitude glide flights. This feature makes the weapon difficult to detect and shoot down.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un did not oversee the new missile test.