Hwasong-20 ICBM Takes Center Stage at North Korea’s Defense Show (Photos)

Click to see full-size image. (Korean Central News Agency)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a newly opened defense museum showcasing advanced missiles and other weapons, state media reported on October 13, as United States President Donald Trump raised the possibility of meeting Kim during a visit to Asia next month.

Photographs released by North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency showed Kim and his daughter, Ju Ae, attending the opening of the Defense Revolution Museum.

Notably, the displays included the massive Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, which has not reportedly been tested yet.

Click to see full-size image. (Korean Central News Agency)

Click to see full-size image. (Korean Central News Agency)

Click to see full-size image. (Korean Central News Agency)

Click to see full-size image. (Korean Central News Agency)

The exhibits also included a new submarine-launched ballistic missile, the Hwasong-16 hypersonic missile, 600-millimeter and 240-millimeter multiple rocket launchers, 155-millimeter howitzers and the Badasuri anti-ship missile.

Other reported displays included Hwasal cruise missiles, reconnaissance and attack drones, an upgraded Chonma-20 tank and anti-tank guided missiles. Some of the more specific weapon designations remain tentative, as North Korea did not publish a complete inventory of the museum’s exhibits.

The visit came a day after North Korea launched two ballistic missiles from its eastern coast. Both were believed to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry.

Trump told reporters in Washington on the same day that he might hold talks with Kim during a trip to Asia next month. The U.S. president is scheduled to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, on November 18 and 19.

“I may,” Trump said when asked about a possible meeting. “That’ll be exciting, won’t it? But I get along with him.”

Pyongyang had not publicly responded to Trump’s remarks as of October 13. The museum visit could serve to emphasize North Korea’s military advances ahead of any potential meeting.

Kim described the museum as demonstrating “how the dignity and security of the DPRK and the happiness of its people are defended and how peace of this land is achieved,” KCNA reported.

KCNA also reported that North Korea had test-fired a tactical ballistic missile on October 12 to validate an upgraded core component of its weapons systems. Observers said the missile may have been a Hwasong-11A, also known as a KN-23, which can follow a quasi-ballistic trajectory and is believed capable of carrying a tactical nuclear warhead.

Click to see full-size image. (Korean Central News Agency)

Japan’s Defense Ministry said the first missile traveled about 220 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of 20 kilometers, while the second flew more than 910 kilometers at a maximum altitude of 70 kilometers. Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Japan, the United States and South Korea were working together to analyze the second launch, including the possibility that it followed an irregular trajectory.

Koizumi condemned the test, saying North Korea’s frequent missile launches highlighted an increasingly serious security environment around Japan. He said North Korea had launched at least 18 ballistic missiles in 11 launches so far this year, with the number of launches already more than doubling and the number of missiles roughly tripling compared with the same period last year.

North Korea has been developing missiles designed to maneuver during flight, complicating efforts to track and intercept them. The country has also pursued intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of carrying multiple independently targetable nuclear warheads, adding to concerns over the range and sophistication of its weapons program.

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