North Korea unveiled its latest and “most powerful” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at a military parade presided over by the country’s leader Kim Jong Un, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reports.

The parade on Friday in the capital Pyongyang featured some of North Korea’s most advanced weapons, including long-range strategic cruise missiles and drone launch vehicles, but special prominence was given to the Hwasong-20 ICBM, which KCNA described as the military’s “most powerful nuclear strategic weapon system”.

Mounted on an 11-axle launcher truck for its debut at the parade on Friday, the very existence of the massive Hwasong-20 was only revealed in recent weeks as North Korea tested a new solid-fuel rocket engine that it said was intended for a future generation of ICBMs.

State media said the engine, built with carbon fibre, is capable of producing 1,971 kilonewtons of thrust – a measure of propulsive force which is more powerful than earlier North Korean rocket engines.

“The Hwasong-20 represents, for the moment, the apotheosis of North Korea’s ambitions for long-range nuclear delivery capabilities. We should expect to see the system tested before the end of this year,” said Ankit Panda of the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The Hwasong-20 at the military parade celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), in Pyongyang, North Korea [KCNA via Reuters]
The Hwasong series of ICBMs has given North Korea the capacity to strike long-range targets, but questions remain over the sophistication of its guidance system and the ability of the missile’s warhead payload to withstand atmospheric re-entry.

Experts believe the Hwasong-20 could be designed to carry multiple nuclear warheads, a capability that Kim has called on his military to develop in order to give his arsenal of missiles a better chance at penetrating enemy defences.

“The system is likely designed for the delivery of multiple warheads,” Panda said.

“Multiple warheads will increase stresses on existing US missile defence systems and augment what Kim sees as necessary to achieve meaningful deterrence effects against Washington,” he said.

Following the parade marking the 80th anniversary of the foundation of North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party, Kim delivered a speech in which he called North Korea a “faithful member of socialist forces” and “a bulwark for independence” against the threat of the West’s global hegemony, according to KCNA.

“Today, we stand before the world as a mighty people with no obstacles we cannot overcome and no great achievement we cannot accomplish,” Kim said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second from right, inspects the missile production process at a newly opened military manufacturing facility at an undisclosed location in North Korea [File: AFP]
Among foreign dignitaries in Pyongyang to attend the event was Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council and a key ally of President Vladimir Putin.

Meeting with Kim, Medvedev expressed gratitude for North Korea’s support for the Russian military campaign in Ukraine, Russian state news agencies reported on Friday.

“The nature of relations between people and between countries is revealed during times of trial,” Medvedev said on the Russian social media platform Max.

“This fully applies to the alliance between our countries”, he said.

“We are grateful to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea for its steadfast support of the special military operation. Our soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder to liberate the Kursk region. This feat will forever remain in our hearts,” he added.

In response, Kim told Medvedev of hoping to strengthen cooperation with Russia and to closely engage in diverse exchanges to achieve common goals, KCNA said.