North Korea announced on the 2nd that it has begun developing a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the "Hwasong-20," capable of striking the U.S. mainland. This marks the first public disclosure of a next-generation ICBM a year after it referred to the "Hwasong-19" as a "final version," heightening its showcase of military power.
On that day, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim Jong Un, the chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, inspected the production site of a new high-thrust solid-fuel missile engine and the carbon fiber composite material process the day before China's Victory Day parade. The new engine is analyzed to have a maximum thrust of 1960 kN (kilonewtons), with solid-fuel engine thrust enhanced by over 40%, enabling it to carry multiple warheads.
Experts projected that the increase in engine output could secure multiple warhead capabilities and simplify missile structures. People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Yong-won noted, "This is a strategy to hint at confrontation with the U.S. ahead of the North Korea-China-Russia summit while showcasing missile development capabilities." In particular, the carbon fiber technology raises the possibility of support from Russia.
North Korea stated that on this day, along with the Hwasong-20, it has also equipped the existing Hwasong-19 with a high-thrust solid-fuel engine, suggesting that both models are likely to lead to the development of multiple warhead ICBMs. The Ministry of National Defense is closely monitoring North Korea's weapon system trends.