North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed a test of a high-thrust, solid-fuel engine for weapons and described it as a significant step to enhance the country’s strategic military capability, state media reported Sunday. The development signals Pyongyang’s continued efforts to modernize its missile arsenal, including missiles capable of reaching the United States mainland.

The report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) came days after Kim delivered a speech at North Korea’s parliament, pledging to irreversibly cement the country’s status as a nuclear power. In his address, Kim accused the United States of global “state terrorism and aggression,” in a likely reference to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

KCNA said Kim watched the ground jet test of the newly upgraded engine, which uses composite carbon fiber materials. The engine’s maximum thrust was reported at 2,500 kilotons, up from approximately 1,971 kilotons in a similar solid-fuel engine test conducted last September. Observers suggest the increase in engine power may be linked to efforts to deploy multiple warheads on a single missile, improving the chances of bypassing U.S. defenses.

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The agency did not specify the date or location of the test. KCNA stated that the engine test is part of North Korea’s five-year military escalation program, which aims to upgrade “strategic strike means”—understood to refer to nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with the potential to target the continental United States.

In recent years, North Korea has test-fired various ICBMs, including solid-fuel variants that can be launched more quickly and with less detection risk than older liquid-fuel missiles. While some foreign experts argue that technological hurdles remain—such as ensuring warheads survive atmospheric reentry—others note that North Korea has spent many years developing its nuclear and missile programs, making these systems increasingly credible.

Kim’s comments underscore North Korea’s commitment to strengthening its nuclear arsenal following the collapse of his high-profile diplomacy with former U.S. President Donald Trump in 2019. Earlier this year, at a Workers’ Party congress, Kim signaled that he remains open to dialogue with the United States but insisted that Washington must drop demands for North Korean nuclear disarmament as a precondition for talks.

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