What did North Korea say about the upgraded 240mm multiple rocket launcher test?

North Korea said it test-fired upgraded 240mm multiple rocket launcher shells on Tuesday and described the system as part of its effort to modernize artillery and missile forces. KCNA said the weapons include an autonomous pinpoint guide system.

How far can North Korea's upgraded 240mm rockets reach?

KCNA said the rockets can strike a target 100 kilometers away in a trajectory flight mode and 115 kilometers away in a combined glide mode. The report said the system is designed to improve striking power along the southern border.

How did South Korea respond to North Korea's rocket firing?

South Korea's military said it detected multiple rounds toward the West Sea on Tuesday and is carrying out a detailed analysis. It also said it is closely monitoring North Korean activities under the combined South Korea-U.S. defense posture.

N. Korea test-fires upgraded multiple-rocket launcher shells

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Summary

North Korea said Thursday it test-fired upgraded 240mm multiple rocket launcher shells Tuesday under a five-year plan to modernize artillery and missile forces. KCNA said the launch showed range-extended rockets and new guidance systems could sharply improve firepower along the southern border. Pak Jong-chon called for concentrating the deadliest attack forces on the border with South Korea. South Korea said it detected multiple rounds fired toward the West Sea and is analyzing the launch.

Key Facts

KCNA said the rockets can hit a target 100 kilometers away in a trajectory flight mode and 115 kilometers away in a combined glide mode.
The upgraded weapons are equipped with an autonomous pinpoint guide system.
The test was carried out under North Korea's five-year plan for modernizing artillery and missile forces.
South Korea's military said it detected multiple rounds fired toward the West Sea on Tuesday and is conducting a detailed analysis.
South Korea said it is maintaining overwhelming capabilities against any provocations under the combined South Korea-U.S. defense posture.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 24, 2026 8:57 am KST
Updated Sep 24, 2026 2:22 pm KST

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Thursday, shows the North test-firing shells for an upgraded 240mm multiple rocket launcher system on Tuesday. Yonhap

North Korea said Thursday it has test-fired shells for an upgraded 240mm multiple rocket launcher system, stressing the need to deploy the "deadliest" attack forces along the border with South Korea.

North Korea conducted a test of upgraded 240mm-caliber controlled multiple-launch rockets Tuesday under the country's five-year plan for modernizing artillery and missile forces, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

Leading military cadres overseeing the test said "the development of range-extended rockets assures them of a significant change in the firepower readiness along the southern border," according to the report.

Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party, stressed the need to "concentrate the deadliest and destructive attack forces on the southern border," according to the KCNA.

"He underscored the need to make the enemy aware of the fact that we have replaced all our armed forces' long-range strike means with the latest ones at the earliest date," it said.

The rockets equipped with the "autonomous pinpoint guide system" are capable of striking a target 100 kilometers away in a trajectory flight mode and 115 km away in a combined glide mode, according to the report.

Since North Korea declared inter-Korean ties as those between "two states hostile to each other" in 2023, it appears to have focused on upgrading the performance of striking means that could put South Korea within its range.

South Korea's military said it detected the North's firing of multiple rounds toward the West Sea on Tuesday and is conducting a detailed analysis.

It added that it is maintaining "overwhelming" capabilities against any provocations, and closely monitoring North Korean activities under the combined South Korea-U.S. defense posture.

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