South Korean officials revealed Monday that North Korea’s recent rocket engine testing is part of an effort to develop advanced intercontinental ballistic missiles using carbon fiber construction capable of delivering multiple warheads.
The March ground test involved a solid-fuel rocket engine that intelligence analysts believe is being designed for North Korea’s newest long-range missile system.
According to South Korean lawmakers, this latest engine appears to generate more power than the version tested in 2024, which military experts already determined could reach any target across the continental United States.
North Korea typically launches its long-range missiles on high-arcing paths that end with the weapons landing in ocean waters near its eastern coastline or beyond Japan, rather than testing them at their full intended range.
Parliament member Park Sun-won told reporters that North Korean media displayed the missile’s carbon fiber construction during the engine test. “North Korean media showed the airframe of the missile at the new engine test that was built with carbon fibre, which is lightweight while strong, allowing the projectile to carry multiple warheads,” Park said.
Park made his comments after attending a private intelligence briefing conducted by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attended the March 28 testing and described it as a major enhancement to his nation’s strategic military capabilities.
Despite United Nations Security Council prohibitions on missile and nuclear testing, North Korea continues to advance its development of increasingly sophisticated and powerful missile systems.
