North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw a ground test of an upgraded high-thrust solid-fuel rocket engine, state media KCNA reported, in the latest move to advance the country’s strategic weapons program. KCNA said the test — part of a five-year defense plan — involved a carbon-fiber composite engine with a reported maximum thrust of 2,500 kilonewtons, but did not say when or where the trial took place.
KCNA described the demonstration as showing “the physical and technical ability they have prepared to be a-match-for-a hundred combatants with iron fists.” Kim also inspected special operations forces training and a new main battle tank.
Analysts say higher-thrust solid-fuel engines could enable intercontinental ballistic missiles with longer ranges and faster launch times, making them harder to detect and potentially capable of reaching the US mainland. Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification told AFP the development demonstrates North Korea’s “resolve to acquire missiles capable of hitting targets around the globe.”
This is the first confirmed test of a high-thrust solid-fuel engine since September, when Pyongyang reported testing a lower-thrust model.
Days earlier, Kim accused the US of global “state terrorism and aggression,” an apparent reference to the war in the Middle East, and pledged to cement North Korea’s nuclear status. Pyongyang has accelerated its weapons program since diplomatic overtures with the US collapsed in 2019. In February, Kim signaled openness to renewed talks if Washington drops its demand for denuclearization.
Edited by: Natalie Muller