North Korean leader Kim Jong Un supervised the ground test of an upgraded rocket engine, state media reported on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in the country’s weapons program.
Defense analysts believe North Korea plans to deploy these solid-fuel engines for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), which allow for faster launches due to minimal preparation time before ignition.
According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the test was conducted as part of “the national defence development plan in the period of the new five-year plan,” though details about the date and location were not disclosed.
This marks the first confirmed high-thrust solid-fuel engine test since September 2025, when KCNA reported an engine produced a maximum thrust of 1,971 kilonewtons. The recent test reportedly achieved 2,500 kilonewtons, demonstrating North Korea’s push for missiles capable of hitting global targets, according to Hong Min, an analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
“Given the increased thrust, this indicates an ambition to develop ICBMs with worldwide range and the capability to bypass missile defense systems,” Hong said.
KCNA released photos showing Kim Jong Un inspecting the engine, accompanied by officials, as well as images of the engine firing, casting an orange glow over the test site. Kim described North Korea’s defense capabilities as having reached “a significant phase of change” in strategic force development.
Experts note that North Korea has already demonstrated engines capable of reaching the US mainland, but the current focus appears to be on multi-warhead ICBMs. Such missiles, which carry multiple warheads, require higher thrust due to their increased weight and allow simultaneous strikes on multiple targets while overwhelming defenses, according to Lee Ho-ryung of the Korea Institute for Defence Analyses.
In addition to the engine test, Kim visited a special forces training base, observing exercises in which soldiers used axes, sledgehammers, and other weapons. KCNA described the drills as showcasing soldiers’ “physical and technical ability to match a hundred combatants with iron fists.”
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