North Korean leader Kim Jong Un witnessed the test of an advanced gasoline engine for weapons capable of reaching the US mainland, and called it a major development that improves the military of his country, state media reported on Sunday.
While the test was in line with Kim’s stated goal of acquiring high-speed, hard-to-see missiles aimed at the US and its allies, some experts speculated that North Korea’s claim may be exaggerated. Missiles with built-in solid propellants are easier to maneuver and conceal their launch than liquid-fuel weapons, which must, in general, be refueled before takeoff and cannot last as long.
The official Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim watched a test of a jet engine using carbon fiber composite material. It said the engine’s maximum thrust is 2,500 kilonewtons, up from the 1,970 kilonewtons reported in a similar petrol engine test in September.
An undated photo provided by the North Korean government shows what it says is an engine test at an undisclosed location. This event was not covered by independent journalists. The image shows a large jet of flame shooting from the missile.
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP
KCNA reported that the test was conducted as part of the country’s five-year arms buildup aimed at developing “strategic strike capabilities,” a term that refers to nuclear-capable missiles and other weapons. Kim said the latest engine test was “very important for setting a high standard for the country’s military,” according to KCNA. The agency did not say when or where the test took place.
North Korea’s report on the latest test may be “erroneous” as it did not reveal key details such as the timing of the engine burn, said Lee Choon Geun, a respected researcher at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute.
When North Korea reported on the last engine test in September, it described it as the ninth and last ground test of a solid fuel engine it had said would be used for intercontinental travel. ballistic missiles. Observers predicted at the time that North Korea would soon launch an ICBM loaded with that engine, but it has yet to do so.
North Korea’s solid engine program may face some delays or the country may decide to build a better engine, perhaps with Russian help, Lee said. Cooperation between countries has deep in recent yearsand the North sending troops and conventional weapons to support Russia’s war against Ukraine.
In recent years, North Korea has tested a variety of ICBMs with a range that could reach the US mainland, including solid fuel ones. But some of North Korea’s past claims about large-scale weapons tests have drawn skepticism. In 2024, North Korea claimed to have successfully launched a multiwarhead ballistic missile, but South Korea quickly dismissed it as a hoax to cover up the failed launch.
Several long-range missiles, called Hwasong-20s, were available put on display during North Korea’s military parade celebrating Kim in October 2025. State media described the devices as “the most powerful nuclear weapons system.”
Some foreign experts say North Korea still faces technical hurdles before it has an operational ICBM, such as ensuring its warheads survive the harsh conditions of re-entry into space. But others dispute that assessment, given the number of years the country has spent on its nuclear and missile programs.
Having more powerful and fuel-efficient engines will allow North Korea to develop smaller ICBMs that can be launched from submarines or land-based mobile trucks, Lee said. Some observers say the push to increase engine power may be related to efforts to put more warheads on a single missile to increase the chances of defeating US defenses.
North Korea has been pushing hard to increase its nuclear arsenal since Kim’s talks with US President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019. At the ruling Workers’ Party conference in February, Kim opened the door to talks with Trump but urged Washington to drop demands for the North’s denuclearization as a basis for talks.
