North Korea displays 'solid-fuel ICBM' at military parade

This photo released Thursday shows what appears to be a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile displayed at a military parade at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday. Yonhap

Presidential office says it is 'closely monitoring' situation

By Jung Min-ho

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un brought his daughter to a massive military parade showing off the regime's most advanced weapons, state media reported Thursday. Among the arms on display was what appeared to be a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

The parade, held in Pyongyang the previous evening to mark the 75th founding anniversary of North Korea's army, featured "nuclear-capable weapons" including the ICBM carried on a missile vehicle and Hwasong-17s, the North's largest ICBM that could potentially reach the U.S. mainland, according to its Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and satellite images.

Wearing a long black coat and fedora ― a style that would remind the public of Kim Il-sung, North Korea's late founder ― Kim Jong-un was seen standing next to his daughter, Ju-ae, saluting as top military officers celebrated the moment.

North Korea also presented a "tactical nuclear operation unit" in a demonstration of its "war deterrence and counterstrike capabilities."

A photo released Thursday shows Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missiles displayed during a military parade at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday. Yonhap

State media did not specifically identify the weapons displayed. But experts say they included a solid-propellant ICBM that North Korea has long been seeking to develop.

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"The solid-fuel ICBM appears to be a few meters longer than the one revealed in 2017," Shin Jong-woo, a senior researcher at the Korea Defense and Security Forum, a think tank, told The Korea Times. "The nuclear operation unit is the latest sign of what North Korea is aiming for: developing a more powerful and diversified nuclear arsenal."

Solid fuel offers greater mobility for missiles and reduces launch preparation time. It is also cheaper to produce and more reliable. Given that the movement of North Korean military personnel handling liquid fuel alerts South Korea and the U.S. before the launch of missiles, solid-fuel ICBMs pose a greater threat and could possibly weaken their joint missile defense system that relies highly on such intelligence. All of the ICBMs the North has tested since 2017 used liquid propellants.

A photo released Thursday shows North Korean soldiers marching during a military parade at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday. Yonhap

North Korea has already developed solid-fuel tactical ballistic missiles such as the KN-23, KN-24 and KN-25 ― weapons that can strike much of South Korea, but not Guam or Japan from which the U.S.' key strategic assets would be launched to assist in the case of war on the peninsula.

"This is cumulatively more ICBM launchers than we've ever seen before at a North Korean parade," Ankit Panda, a security expert at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a U.S.-based think tank, said on Twitter. "North Korea displays enough ICBMs to overwhelm the U.S. defense system against them."

Images released by state media show missile-carrying military vehicles, tens of thousands of troops and civilians, and fireworks illuminating Kim Il-sung Square.

"ICBMs showing off the defense development of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and nuclear capabilities joined the parade on the square which was filled with pride and passionate cheering," KCNA said. "Our armed forces are capable of destroying the violent imperialism with an absolute power."

This photo released Thursday shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and his daughter, Ju-ae, smiling during a military parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, Wednesday. Yonhap

The parade was the fifth public appearance by Kim Ju-ae, who has been widely touted as the regime's heir apparent despite being only around nine years old.

On Tuesday, Kim Jong-un brought her to visit the barracks of his top military brass. In photos and videos released later, she was seen walking with her father smiling and holding his hand occasionally. She even took the center seat for pictures with her parents and the officers.

Covering the parade, KCNA called her the "respected" daughter. The title of honor was used to refer to Kim Jong-un a few days after the death of his father Kim Jong-il in 2011. Kim Ju-ae was previously described as "precious." Such descriptions would not be allowed if she was not the next in line of succession, according to some experts such as Cheong Seong-chang, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute, a local think tank.

Speaking to reporters, an official at the presidential office said it is "closely monitoring" the situation, which involves the dangerous development of North Korea's weapons program. When asked about the possibility of the daughter being tapped to become the regime's next successor, the official declined to comment.