officials say the test results will change the strategic position of kim jong-un's reclusive regime. cnn's jeremy diamond is at the white house for us. jeremy, remember a few days ago north korea sent a strange warning, saying they will send a christmas gift to the united states. so is there any correlation here? >> reporter: well, this does not appear to be that gift that north korea was talking about, but it could, fred, potentially pave the way for that, quote, unquote, christmas gift that north korea ominously warned about some days ago. a few days ago they received some imagery that it appeared north korea was testing engines used to propel satellite launchers and icbms, intercontinental ballistic missiles. that is the concern, that the christmas gift north korea warned about could be the intercontinental ballistic missile. that would be the first test of a long-range missile from north korea since november of 2014,