South Korea and the United States announced on Friday that North Korea's two recent ballistic missile launches were part of tests for a new intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM) system under the pretext of its space program.

Seoul's Defense Ministry said that South Korea and the U.S. reached the conclusion after a close analysis of the North's two ballistic missile tests on February 27 and March 5.

In a text message to reporters, the ministry said the two launches involved a new ICBM system that the North is developing, which was first unveiled during the Korean Workers Party parade on October 10, 2020.

The ministry said the latest two tests did not demonstrate the range of an ICBM, but the North seemed to have conducted the launches to test elements of the new system ahead of a full-fledged launch at full range, potentially disguised as a space launch.

North Korea claimed that it conducted the tests for the development of a reconnaissance satellite.

The South Korean Defense Ministry said it is disclosing this information and sharing it with other allies and partners because the international community must stand together and speak in unison to oppose the further development of such weapons by North Korea.

It added that South Korea strongly condemns these launches, calling on the North to immediately halt actions that raise tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

The U.S. Department of Defense issued a similar statement on the missile tests.