State media: North Korea tests powerful rocket engine
North Korea has tested a new type of solid-fuel engine for intercontinental missiles, state media reported on Tuesday.
State news agency KCNA reported that ruler Kim Jong Un personally attended the ninth and final ground test of the new engine at the Academy of Chemical Materials in Pyongyang on Monday.
According to the agency, the engine’s maximum thrust is 1,971 kilonewtons, which would be extraordinarily high by international standards. The information provided by North Korean authorities cannot be independently verified.
In recent years, North Korea has developed various types of intercontinental missiles with a sufficient flight radius to reach the US mainland.
Solid-fuelled missiles are considered a particularly serious threat as, unlike liquid-fuelled missiles, they are not only easier to transport but can also be deployed much more quickly.
Kim is receiving increasing diplomatic support from both Moscow and Beijing. Earlier in September, the North Korean ruler travelled to China for the first time in six years, where he met head of state Xi Jinping in Beijing for talks. Kim and Xi agreed to closer ties during their meeting.
North Korea has also entered into military co-operation with Russia, which is unprecedented for the country.
According to estimates by the South Korean secret service, Pyongyang has sent around 13,000 soldiers to support Russia in its war against Ukraine. In return, North Korea received security guarantees, foreign currency and reportedly also military technology from Moscow.
