Seoul: North Korea’s recent solid-fuel rocket engine test aims to power intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) constructed with carbon fibre, designed to boost range and enable heavier or multiple warhead deliveries, South Korean lawmakers revealed on Monday.
In March, North Korea conducted a ground test of a solid-fuel rocket engine that analysts assess as intended for its newest ICBM. The upgraded engine offers superior thrust compared to the prior version tested in 2024, which experts deemed capable of reaching any point on the US mainland, the lawmakers noted.
North Korea has performed all its long-range missile firings on lofted trajectories, causing warheads to land in the ocean off its east coast or east of Japan. This approach allows testing without full-range overflights for which the missiles are engineered, Reuters reported.
North Korean state media footage from the engine test displayed a missile airframe made of carbon fibre—lightweight yet robust—permitting the weapon to accommodate multiple warheads, said parliament member Park Sun-won. Park shared these insights with reporters after a closed-door briefing by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), the country’s primary intelligence agency.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed the March 28 test firsthand and described it as “a significant upgrade to the country’s strategic forces.”
North Korea continues to defy a United Nations Security Council prohibition on missile and nuclear activities, making steady gains in advanced missile technology despite international sanctions.
