Earlier this week, North Korea apparently completed a successful test of its most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile, launching it nearly 4,700 miles (7,800 kilometers) into space before the projectile fell back to Earth.
Called the Hwasong-19, the multi-stage solid-fuel missile is a new addition to North Korea's increasingly sophisticated weapons arsenal. It has enough range—perhaps as much as 9,000 miles, according to the Japanese government—to strike targets anywhere in the United States.
Thursday's test flight of the Hwasong-19 was North Korea's first test of a long-range missile in nearly a year, as North Korea deploys some 10,000 troops to Russia just days before the U.S. presidential election. US officials condemned the missile launch as a “provocative and destabilizing” action in violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
The nascent partnership between Russia and North Korea has been developing for several years. Russian President Vladimir Putin has met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un several times, most recently in Pyongyang in June. Last September, North Korean dictator Putin visited the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russia's newest launch site, where leaders inspected the hardware for Russia's Angara rocket.
In this photo distributed by North Korean state media, a Hwasong-19 missile fires from a launch tube somewhere in North Korea on October 31, 2024.
In this photo distributed by North Korean state media, a Hwasong-19 missile fires from a launch tube somewhere in North Korea on October 31, 2024.
Credit: KCNA
The visit to Vostochny fueled speculation that Russia could supply missile and space technology to North Korea in exchange for Kim's help in the fight against Ukraine. This week, South Korea's defense minister said his government has identified several areas where North Korea is likely to seek help from Russia.
“In return for their commitment, North Korea will most likely request technology transfers in various areas, including those related to tactical nuclear weapons technologies related to their advancement of ICBMs, also those related to reconnaissance satellites and those related to SSBNs. [ballistic missile submarines] too,” Kim Yong-hyun, South Korea's top military official, said during a visit to Washington.
