North Korea tests missile capable of reaching US mainland

North Korea has conducted a ground test of an upgraded solid-fuel rocket engine, which could be used in intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of striking the continental United States, The Associated Press reports.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, the test was personally observed by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who described it as “highly significant” for bringing the country’s strategic weapons “to the highest level” under the five-year defence development plan.

The new engine, made from carbon composite materials, produces a maximum thrust of approximately 2,500 kilonewtons. This exceeds the performance of a similar solid-fuel engine tested in September last year, which had a thrust of 1,970 kilonewtons.