North Korea Launches Missiles for Second Consecutive Day... Possible Show of Force

Recent Public Test of New Solid-Fuel Engine for ICBMs

Potential for Military Demonstration Through Future Hwasong-20 Launch

On April 8, North Korea launched an unidentified projectile into the East Sea. The previous day, it had also launched an unidentified projectile eastward from the Pyongyang area.

Yonhap News Agency

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the projectile launched by North Korea the previous day showed abnormal signs during the initial phase of flight and was presumed to have disappeared. The Joint Chiefs of Staff reportedly believe that the projectile launched the previous day was likely a ballistic missile. Given the launch failure, there is a possibility that North Korea conducted missile test launches for two consecutive days.

North Korea’s launches have occurred for two consecutive days, beginning the day after Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the Workers’ Party, commented on President Lee Jaemyung’s expression of regret regarding the “North Korean drone infiltration incident.” She stated that “our head of state demonstrated the attitude of a frank and bold person.” Some analysts suggest that these launches may be intended to demonstrate, through military displays, that North Korea’s hostile policy toward the South has not changed.

North Korea has already publicly showcased tests of a new solid-fuel engine designed for use in intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). There are also predictions that North Korea may soon conduct a test launch to reveal the performance of its new ICBM, the Hwasong-20.

The Hwasong-20 is an upgraded model of the Hwasong-19, featuring a new solid-fuel engine with improved thrust and fuel efficiency. The warhead section has been enlarged, and the transporter erector launcher (TEL) has been replaced with a Russian-style central erecting device, enhancing payload capacity and mobility. North Korea claims that the maximum thrust of the new engine is 2,500 kN (kilonewtons), which is about a 26% increase compared to the maximum thrust (1,971 kN) of the solid engine tested during a ground emission test conducted in early September last year. A thrust of 2,500 kN is enough to lift an object weighing approximately 255 tons into the air.

The main issue is whether a test launch will actually take place. Since a test launch has not yet been conducted, it remains uncertain whether reentry and multiple warhead technologies have been perfected. The last test launch of a North Korean ICBM was of the Hwasong-19 on October 31, 2024. Since U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term, North Korea has not launched any ICBMs. Many analysts believe that, since North Korea has avoided direct criticism of President Trump and has not closed the door to dialogue, it is unlikely to carry out an ICBM test launch that could significantly provoke the United States.

It is also noteworthy that these consecutive missile launches by North Korea come about a month after the outbreak of war between Iran and the United States and Israel. As anti-American countries such as Venezuela and Iran have successively become targets of U.S. military action, analysts suggest that North Korea is seeking to deter the United States by demonstrating that it possesses strategic weapons capable of striking the U.S. mainland with a nuclear warhead.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.