North Korea unveils new ICBM, global strike map in weapons exhibition
The museum showcased the Hwasong-20 and a map marking strike ranges across the world, a move that may be intended to offer leverage in any talks with the U.S.
North Korean officials examine a large missile displayed at the National Defense Revolution Museum in Pyongyang on Oct. 11 in this photo released by the official party mouthpiece, the Rodong Sinmun, on Oct. 13.NEWS1
North Korea has opened a new military museum displaying its latest weapons, including the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile and a map showing strike ranges across much of the world.
The display appears aimed at showcasing North Korea’s strategic deterrence on a global scale and strengthening its nuclear bargaining power ahead of any future negotiations with the United States.
The party mouthpiece, the Rodong Sinmun, reported Tuesday that an opening ceremony for the National Defense Revolution Museum was held on Sunday to mark the 81st anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
Photos published by the newspaper showed a range of weapons systems, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles and submarine-launched ballistic missiles.
The exhibition included a Hwasong-20 mounted on a transporter erector launcher as well as what appeared to be an internal diagram showing a multiple-warhead configuration and a map marking strike ranges across the world, including the U.S. mainland.
The newspaper published an image containing the Hwasong-20's information panel, unlike those for other weapons on display.
The move may be intended as a message that the United States should recognize North Korea as a nuclear-armed state, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his trip to Asia was possible.
North Korea’s National Defense Revolution Museum, run by the country’s Second Economy Commission, opens on Oct. 11 to mark the 81st founding anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea, in this photo released by the North’s official Korean Central News Agency two days later.YONHAP
“They have no intention of considering denuclearization negotiations and instead want to cement their status as a ‘global nuclear power’ as a national symbol,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, referring to North Korea.
A marking featuring the numbers “16-022” was visible on the glide vehicle of the Hwasong-16B, an intermediate- to long-range hypersonic missile.
“The numbers at the end could indicate the production sequence,” said Shin Jong-woo, the secretary general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum.
The display appears intended to demonstrate that the missile has moved beyond the development stage and entered mass production.
North Korea also unveiled the Hwasong-11Ma-1, a short-range hypersonic missile, in an apparent effort to highlight its ability to conduct maneuvering attacks across a range of operational distances.
A close-range air defense system resembling Russia’s Pantsir was also on display.
“It appears to be mass-produced with technological assistance from Russia,” Prof. Shin said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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