SEOUL, October 31. /TASS/. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) held a "very crucial test" in the early hours of Thursday by firing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

The test-fire "updated the recent records of the strategic missile capability of the DPRK," the agency reported.

DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, who oversaw the launch, delivered a speech on the site, describing the launch as a fair and fully legitimate military measure.

"The test-fire is an appropriate military action that fully meets the purpose of informing the rivals, who have intentionally escalated the regional situation and posed a threat to the security of our Republic recently," he said. "I affirm that the DPRK will never change its line of bolstering up its nuclear forces."

In his words, the tests were carried out in the course of constantly developing DPRK strategic attack forces.

The ICBM launch took place at 1:10 a.m. Moscow time on Thursday (10:10 p.m. Wednesady GMT), according to South Korean media. Seoul earlier said that the DPRK probably test-fired a new type of a solid-fuel ICBM, possibly from a new 12-axle transporter erector launcher, which the country unveiled last month.