{"id":15502,"date":"2026-03-29T15:08:41","date_gmt":"2026-03-29T07:08:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=15502"},"modified":"2026-03-29T15:14:13","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T07:14:13","slug":"north-korea-boosts-missile-power-in-push-to-hit-us-mainland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=15502","title":{"rendered":"North Korea boosts missile power in push to hit US mainland"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un<\/a> observed a test of a high-thrust, solid-fuel missile engine and declared it a major advancement in the country\u2019s strategic military capability<\/a>, state media reported Sunday, signaling Pyongyang\u2019s continued push to field nuclear-armed missiles capable of reaching the United States.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newsweek<\/em> reached out to the White House and Department of Defense via email on Saturday for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why It Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The engine test suggests Kim is intent on enlarging and modernizing North Korea\u2019s long-range missile arsenal at a moment when diplomatic talks between Washington and Pyongyang remain stalled. Observers say the increased thrust capacity is likely tied to efforts to place multiple warheads on a single missile \u2014 a capability that would significantly complicate U.S. missile defense planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The test also comes weeks after North Korea fired more than 10 ballistic missiles<\/a> into the sea during U.S.-South Korean military exercises, underscoring the pace of Pyongyang\u2019s provocations even as Trump administration officials have signaled interest in renewed engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What To Know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kim observed a ground jet test of a newly upgraded engine built with composite carbon fiber material, according to Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The engine\u2019s maximum thrust reached 2,500 kilotons, up from roughly 1,971 kilotons recorded in a similar solid-fuel engine test in September.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The test was conducted under North Korea\u2019s five-year military escalation program, which includes upgrading what state media calls \u201cstrategic strike means\u201d \u2014 widely understood to mean nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) targeting the continental U.S. KCNA did not specify when or where the test took place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solid-fuel missiles carry a tactical advantage over North Korea\u2019s older liquid-fuel systems, which must be fueled before launch and are more easily detected. Solid-fuel missiles can be deployed with far less warning, reducing the window for preemptive action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some foreign experts say North Korea still faces technological hurdles before it has a fully operational ICBM, including ensuring warheads survive the extreme conditions of atmospheric reentry. Others dispute that assessment, citing the decades Pyongyang has invested in its nuclear and missile programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

North Korea has aggressively expanded its arsenal since Kim\u2019s diplomacy with President Donald Trump<\/a> collapsed in 2019. At a Workers\u2019 Party congress in February, Kim left the door open for dialogue but demanded Washington abandon denuclearization as a precondition for talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What People Are Saying<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kim Jong Un, according to KCNA:<\/strong> The engine test carries \u201cgreat significance in putting the country\u2019s strategic military muscle on the highest level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japan\u2019s Ministry of Defense, in a statement posted to X following last month\u2019s missile launches<\/strong>: \u201cNorth Korea\u2019s series of actions threaten the peace and security of Japan, the region, and the international community\u201d and \u201cviolate relevant UN Security Council resolutions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its leader Kim Jong Un, center right, and his daughter, center left, attend a live-fire test of multiple rocket launch systems, at an undisclosed place in North Korea Saturday, March 14, 2026. (Korean Central News Agency\/Korea News Service via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Happens Next<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With Operation Freedom Shield<\/a> \u2014 the annual U.S.-South Korea military exercise \u2014 concluded earlier this month and diplomatic discussions ongoing between Washington and Seoul over potential outreach to Pyongyang, North Korea\u2019s continued weapons testing complicates the path to any renewed talks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok told reporters after meeting Trump in Washington that the president remains eager for another meeting with Kim Jong Un \u2014 though Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected calls to return to the negotiating table without conditions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed a test of a high-thrust, solid-fuel missile engine and declared it a major advancement in the country\u2019s strategic military capability, state media reported Sunday, signaling Pyongyang\u2019s continued push to field nuclear-armed missiles capable of reaching the United States. Newsweek reached out to the White House and Department of Defense via email on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":15507,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,12],"tags":[1789,1928,2876],"class_list":["post-15502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-pacific","category-usa","tag-missile","tag-north","tag-push"],"yoast_head":"\nNorth Korea boosts missile power in push to hit US mainland - LISTEN WORLD<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tingchao.xyz\/?p=15502\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"North Korea boosts missile power in push to hit US mainland - LISTEN WORLD\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"North Korean leader Kim Jong Un observed a test of a high-thrust, solid-fuel missile engine and declared it a major advancement in the country\u2019s strategic military capability, state media reported Sunday, signaling Pyongyang\u2019s continued push to field nuclear-armed missiles capable of reaching the United States. 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