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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un witnessed a test of a super-powerful, gasoline-powered engine and hailed it as a development to boost the country’s military capabilities, state media reported Sunday.
The tests may indicate that Kim intends to increase and make the missiles capable of reaching the United States.
The report on Sunday from the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) came days after Kim delivered a speech to North Korea’s parliament promising to irreversibly strengthen his country’s status as a nuclear power and accused the US of “state terrorism and aggression” around the world, referring to the Middle East war.
Kim watched a ground plane test of a newly developed engine using a composite carbon fiber material, according to KCNA, which reported the engine’s reliability to be 2,500 kilotons, up from about 1,971 kilotons reported in a similar test of a solid fuel engine in September.
The push to increase engine power may be linked to efforts to put multiple warheads on a single missile to increase the chances of defeating US defenses, observers say.
WATCH | North Korea unveils new missiles at military show:
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un unveiled a new intercontinental ballistic missile at a major military parade celebrating the ruling party’s 80th anniversary.
KCNA did not specifically report when or where the test took place. The inspection was carried out as part of the five-year plan to increase the military in the country. The plan’s goals include developing “strategic strike methods,” KCNA reported.
The reference is understood to mean nuclear-capable, intercontinental ballistic missiles aimed at the continental US.
Kim said the latest engine test “has great significance in setting a high standard for the country’s military,” KCNA reported.
In recent years, North Korea has tested a variety of ICBMs that show a range that could reach the US mainland, including ballistic missiles with solid propellants that make detection before takeoff extremely difficult. The country’s old liquid-fueled missiles must be refueled before they can take off and cannot last long.
Some foreign experts say North Korea still faces technical hurdles before it has an operational ICBM, such as ensuring its warheads survive the harsh conditions of re-entry into space. But some oppose the test given the number of years the country has spent on its nuclear and missile programs.
North Korea has been pushing hard to increase its nuclear arsenal since Kim’s talks with US President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019. At the ruling Workers’ Party conference in February, Kim opened the door to talks with Trump but urged Washington to drop demands for the North’s denuclearization as a basis for talks.
