North Korea has issued a chilling weapons threat to its enemies, including the UK, after leader Kim Jong Un oversaw tests of new upgraded military hardware. State media reported on Sunday that a test of an upgraded, high-thrust, solid-fuel engine for weapons was conducted, which Kim hailed as a massive boost to his military capabilities. The test aligns with Kim's goal of developing more agile, hard-to-detect missiles to target the United States and its allies, including the UK.
Images released by the Korean Central News Agency showed the dictator watching over a massive plume of smoke as the new military engine ran at an undisclosed location. The agency stated that Kim observed a ground jet test of the engine, which uses composite carbon fibre material, and claimed its maximum thrust is 2,500 kilotons, up from about 1,970 kilotons reported in a similar test in September. These tests are part of North Korea's five-year arms build-up aimed at upgrading 'strategic strike means,' a term referring to nuclear-capable ballistic missiles and other weapons.
Kim gloated over the test, claiming it had 'great significance in putting the country's strategic military muscle on the highest level.' However, some experts have expressed scepticism about North Korea's claims. Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea's Science and Technology Policy Institute, suggested the report could be 'bluffing' as it did not disclose key information such as the engine's total combustion time. He noted that North Korea's solid-fuel engine development programme may be facing delays or the country might be seeking to develop a better engine, possibly with Russian technical assistance.
Cooperation between North Korea and Russia has deepened in recent years, with the North sending troops and weapons to support Moscow's war in Ukraine. In recent years, North Korea has test-fired a variety of long-range missiles demonstrating the potential range to reach the US, including solid-propellant missiles that are harder to detect before launch. This is not the first time North Korea's claims about major weapons developments have been met with outside scepticism; in 2024, South Korea dismissed a claim of a successful multiwarhead missile test as a deception to cover up a failed launch.
North Korea has pushed hard to expand its nuclear arsenal since Kim's high-stakes diplomacy with Donald Trump collapsed in 2019. In a ruling Workers' Party congress in February, Kim left open the door for dialogue with Trump but urged Washington to drop demands for the North's nuclear disarmament as a precondition for talks.
