Kim Jong Un unveils North Korea’s “most powerful nuclear weapon” in military parade | Exhibition news

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over a major military parade featuring the country’s newest intercontinental ballistic missile in the presence of prominent international figures, North Korean Central News Agency reported.

Friday night’s parade celebrated the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Workers’ Party of Korea, following Thursday’s celebrations. Foreign guests in Pyongyang included Chinese Premier Li Qiang, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Vietnamese Communist Party leader Tu Lam.

During the parade, North Korea displayed its advanced Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile, which KCNA described as the country’s “most powerful strategic nuclear weapons system.”

While the Hwasong series of intercontinental ballistic missiles provides North Korea with the theoretical ability to strike anywhere in the United States, experts remain uncertain about the accuracy of their guidance and whether their warhead can survive re-entry into the atmosphere.

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

“The system is likely designed to deliver multiple warheads… Multiple warheads will increase pressures on existing U.S. missile defense systems and increase what Kim deems necessary to achieve meaningful deterrence effects against Washington.”

In his speech during the parade, Kim offered “warm encouragement” to North Korean troops serving abroad, particularly in Russia’s war in Ukraine, noting that their heroism would extend beyond national defense to “outposts of socialist construction,” according to KCNA.

“Our military must continue to grow into an invincible entity that destroys all threats,” Kim declared.

Kim also met with Medvedev on Friday, who noted that North Korean soldiers fighting for Russia in Ukraine show trust between their two countries. Kim expressed his desire to strengthen cooperation with Russia and engage in various exchanges to achieve common goals, KCNA reported.