North Korea conducts its final ground test of a solid-fuel engine for long-range missiles

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea said Tuesday it had conducted the final ground test of a solid-fuel rocket engine for a long-range ballistic missile in its latest advancement toward having an arsenal that could viably threaten the continental United States.

The test Monday observed by leader Kim Jong Un was the ninth of the engine built with carbon fiber and capable of producing 1,971 kilonewtons of thrust, more powerful than past models, according to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency. The report came a week after Kim visited the research institute that developed the engine, which North Korea then said will be used for future intercontinental ballistic missles, including a system called Hwasong-20.

Some analysts say that North Korea may conduct another ICBM test around the end of the year, showcasing its military strength ahead of a major ruling party congress expected in early 2026, where Kim will likely issue his new directions in domestic and foreign policies.

North Korea in recent years has flight-tested a variety of ICBMs that demonstrated potential range to reach the U.S. mainland, including those with built-in solid propellants that are easier to move and conceal and can be prepared for launch more quickly than the North’s previous liquid-fuel missiles.

Kim has called for further advancements in North Korea’s long-range weapons, including the development of multi-warhead systems that would improve their chances of defeating missile defenses. Some experts say North Korea’s efforts to build more efficient rocket engines could also be aimed at developing smaller ICBMs that can be launched from a wider range of vehicles or submarines, a capability Kim is also pursuing.

All of North Korea’s ICBM tests so far have been conducted at steeper-than-normal trajectories to avoid neighboring territories, and experts say the country may not yet have perfected the technology needed to ensure its warheads survive the harsh conditions of atmospheric re-entry.

KCNA said Kim expressed satisfaction after Monday’s test, calling the “eye-opening” development of the new rocket engine a “significant change” in his effort to expand North Korea’s nuclear forces.

Lee Sung Joon, spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, said South Korea and the United States are closely monitoring North Korea’s weapons development but did not provide a specific assessment of the new rocket engine.

“If they complete (a new ICBM), they will test it, and then we will need to make additional assessments of that,” Lee said.

Kim has stepped up testing activities since the collapse of nuclear talks with the U.S. in 2019 under President Donald Trump ’s first term, demonstrating weapons of various ranges designed to strike U.S. allies in Asia and the U.S. mainland. Analysts say Kim’s nuclear push is aimed at eventually pressuring Washington to accept the idea of the North as a nuclear power and to negotiate economic and security concessions from a position of strength.

Kim is also trying to bolster his leverage by strengthening his cooperation with traditional allies Russia and China, in an emerging partnership aimed at undercutting U.S. influence.

Kim has sent thousands of troops and large quantities of military equipment to Russia to help fuel President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. He visited Beijing last week, sharing the spotlight with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin at a massive military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and China’s fight against Japanese aggression. Experts say Kim’s rare foreign trip was likely intended to boost his leverage ahead of a potential resumption of talks with the United States.

In a separate report, KCNA said Xi sent a letter to Kim on North Korea’s founding anniversary, which fell on Tuesday, and called for strengthened “strategic communication” between the countries.