North Korea developing new ICBM able to strike multiple U.S. targets

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited a missile research facility on September 1, a day before his trip to China, and signaled the development of a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-20, state media reported on September 2.

Analysts said Kim’s timing was intended to showcase enhanced nuclear capabilities ahead of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, describing it as part of a “rogue alliance” display of solidarity.

Kim toured a laboratory under the General Academy of Chemical Materials under the Missile Administration and received reports from researchers in the field of carbon-fiber composites, according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The agency said the new solid-fuel engine, utilizing carbon-fiber composite materials, achieved a maximum thrust of 1,960 kilonewtons and will be used in the Hwasong-19 series and the next-generation Hwasong-20 ICBM.

Experts said this indicated that North Korea is developing a solid-fuel ICBM using high-temperature carbon composites, which can be applied to engine casings or nozzle throats to increase stability.

Notably, North Korea disclosed a specific thrust figure for the first time. Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said the thrust equates to the power to lift a 200-ton object into the air — comparable to two engines from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, each rated at 845 kilonewtons.

North Korea previously described the Hwasong-19, test-fired on Oct. 31, 2024. It was launched from an 11-axle transporter erector launcher and flew to a maximum altitude of 7,687 kilometers (4,776.4 miles) with a range of 1,001 kilometers in a flight lasting nearly 86 minutes. Analysts said Kim’s remarks that both the Hwasong-19 and Hwasong-20 will use the new solid-fuel engine suggest the latter is an upgraded version of the former.

With the Hwasong-19 already capable of reaching the entire U.S. mainland at a range of approximately 15,000 kilometers, observers believe the Hwasong-20 could employ multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles, or MIRVs, which would enable the missile to carry multiple warheads.

“For ICBMs, the key is to miniaturize the airframe while maximizing destructive power, as seen with the U.S. Minuteman III,” said Ham Hyung-pil of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. “The Hwasong-20 may be similar in size to the Hwasong-19 but carry a more advanced payload.”

“By labeling it the ‘next generation,’ North Korea is signaling changes in areas such as propellant composition and guidance systems,” said Lee Chun-geun, a Research Fellow at the Science and Technology Policy Institute.

The KCNA reported that Kim reviewed the results of eight ground tests of the high-thrust solid-fuel engine conducted over the past two years and discussed building a specialized production base, indicating that the program is moving into mass production. It added that the development followed a defense science plan approved at the ninth plenary session of the eighth Central Committee.

Experts said Kim’s visit, just before his trip to China, was intended to showcase North Korea’s technological progress to Beijing and Moscow, projecting an image of military equality while possibly seeking technology transfers in return.

BY LEE YU-JUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]