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North Korean leader observes test launch of new surface-to-air missile

Published: 25 Dec. 2025, 19:52

A new surface-to-air missile developed by North Korea's Missile Administration is seen during a launch on Dec. 24. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un observed a test launch of a new surface-to-air missile on Wednesday, Pyongyang’s state media reported Thursday.

The test, along with the public unveiling of the construction site of a nuclear-propelled strategic guided missile submarine and a missile defense system described as “North Korea’s version of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense [Thaad],” appears intended to highlight Kim’s key military achievements ahead of the Ninth Party Congress early next year.

The missile administration conducted a test launch of a new high-altitude long-range surface-to-air missile in the East Sea on Wednesday, with Kim in attendance, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The missile reportedly struck a simulated high-altitude target located at a 200-kilometer (124-mile) boundary and then self-destructed.

North Korea said this was the “first test-fire for estimating the tactical and technical features of the high-altitude long-range anti-air missile system in development,” a system which it described as “part of the routine activities of the Missile Administration and its affiliated anti-air weapon system research institutes for the technical optimization of the national anti-air defense means.”

In response, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Thursday that it had detected signs of the launch in advance and was prepared.

“We detected multiple launches of what are presumed to be surface-to-air missiles into the East Sea from the area of Sondok, South Hamgyong Province, around 5 p.m. Wednesday,” the JCS said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, center, is seen observing the launch of a new surface-to-air missile on Dec. 24. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

“South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are conducting a detailed analysis of the specifications,” the JCS added, and that the allies are “maintaining a firm combined defense posture and remain fully prepared to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation by North Korea.”

“A 200-kilometer boundary indicates that the missile could reach high altitudes, placing it in an intermediate category between Thaad and the SM-3 sea-based interceptor,” said Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification. “Whether North Korea can actually implement such a system will depend on the extent of Russia’s involvement in transferring related technology.”

Experts believe the newly unveiled missile is the same model that appeared at an event on Nov. 28 commemorating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the North Korean Air Force. At the time, state media released photos of a new long-range surface-to-air missile alongside a triple-launch canister.

“The lack of released footage of the missile intercepting its target, despite claims that it hit a simulated high-altitude object, suggests the test was aimed at examining flight performance only,” said People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Yu Yong-weon, a member of the National Defense Committee.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is seen overseeing the launch of a new surface-to-air missile on Dec. 24. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

The move is seen as part of a broader effort to promote Kim’s achievements, including the completion of the country’s five-year defense development plan.

“By announcing the launch of a new high-altitude long-range surface-to-air missile system, similar to the U.S. Thaad, North Korea is signaling a strategic retaliation capability against the deployment of U.S. strategic assets such as the USS Greenville,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies.

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.
BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]