North Korea has reportedly conducted a test of a new high-thrust solid-fuel engine for an intercontinental ballistic missile(ICBM), under the supervision of its leader Kim Jong-un.

The North’s state Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) said Tuesday that the Missile Administration, together with a chemical materials research institute, carried out another ground test of a high-thrust solid-fuel engine built with composite carbon fiber material the previous day.

It marked the ninth and final ground jet test of the engine that is capable of producing one-thousand-971 kilonewtons of thrust, according to the KCNA. 

Kim praised the development of the engine as a major strategic achievement in the country’s defense modernization, calling it a significant step in expanding and strengthening the North’s nuclear strategic capabilities.

The report came a week after Kim visited a research institute that developed the engine, which North Korea said will be used for future ICBMs, including a system called Hwasong-20.