South Korea's military has assessed that the new weapon tested by North Korea earlier this week, under the supervision of leader Kim Jong-un, is a guided weapon for ground combat use. 

An official of the Joint Chiefs of Staff revealed the assessment on Friday during a Defense Ministry press briefing, saying the weapon does not appear to be a ballistic missile. 

The official explained the evaluation was made jointly with the U.S., but declined to give further details given that it’s an intelligence matter.

The new weapon the North tested outside the Academy of Defense Science on Wednesday were not detected by South Korea or the U.S.' long-range radars.

The U.S. confirmed the test using its reconnaissance satellite and assessed the tested weapon was not a ballistic missile based on its flight altitude and point of impact. 

A government official said the U.S. shared the assessment with the South Korean military. 

Another government official said Seoul is not at liberty to reveal details of North Korean-related intelligence collected via American intelligence assets, adding the latest assessment was only released only after Seoul and Washington coordinated on the matter.

[Photo : YONHAP News]