The Pentagon says North Korea has been testing a powerful new long-range missile system believed to be a 'serious escalation' of military capability

• North Korea has recently been testing a new intercontinental missile system, the US said.
• Pyongyang is likely preparing for a full-range test in the future, a Pentagon official said.

The Pentagon warned on Thursday that North Korea recently launched two ballistic missiles with the potential to strike other continents, and that Pyongyang is likely planning a full-range test soon.

North Korea carried out the two launches on February 26 and March 4, said Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby.

He said the test firings were "potentially disguised as a space launch" by North Korea, recalling the ruling party's claims on February 28 that the reported launches were to test cameras for a spy satellite.

He added that the weapons system was initially unveiled to the North Korean public during the ruling party's 75th anniversary parade on October 10, 2021.

Multiple media outlets, including Reuters, CNN, and The Financial Times, cited a senior Biden administration official on Thursday saying the new system is a "serious escalation" in North Korea's military capabilities.

Kirby said the tests "did not demonstrate ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile] range" but were likely conducted in preparation for a full-range test in the future.

The new missiles were found to be larger than the ones launched by North Korea in 2017, when it tested a system said to have enough range to reach the US, The Associated Press reported,

"The United States strongly condemns these launches, which are a brazen violation of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions, needlessly raise tensions, and risk destabilizing the security situation in the region," Kirby's statement read.

The US, he added, would continue to be "committed to a diplomatic approach." However, Kirby noted the US had put reconnaissance teams and missile defense forces in the Indo-Pacific region on "enhanced readiness," the statement continued.

"Our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad," Kirby said in his Thursday statement.

On Friday, the South Korean Ministry of Unification called for an "immediate halt of activities that create security instability and heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula and within its territory," according to Korean news outlet YTN.

North Korea's most recent launch marks the ninth time it has conducted a major weapons test since the start of the year, with a record number of launches in January, according to Reuters.