Two New Weapons Unveiled by North Korea

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] North Korea has unveiled the Pukguksong-5 type, an upgraded version of its existing submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It appears to have an increased warhead weight compared to the 'Pukguksong-4ㅅ' (Siot) revealed at the military parade commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party last October.

On the 15th, Korean Central Broadcasting reported, "The military parade commemorating the 8th Party Congress was grandly held on the evening of the 14th at Kim Il-sung Square in Pyongyang," adding, "Comrade Kim Jong-un attended the parade." Two strategic and tactical weapons stood out at the parade: the new tactical missile KN-23, widely known as the 'North Korean version of Iskander,' and the SLBM. The KN-23 missile appears to have an extended overall length to increase its range. If the range has been extended to over 600 km, it would put the entire South Korean territory and some U.S. military bases in Japan within striking distance.

The SLBM clearly marked 'Pukguksong-5 ㅅ' was also showcased. This indicates it is an upgraded version of the previously revealed 'Pukguksong-4ㅅ.' North Korea tested the Pukguksong-1 type (estimated range 1300 km) from a Sinpo-class submarine in August 2016, and in October 2019, it conducted underwater launch tests of the Pukguksong-3 type (estimated range 2000 km). The newly revealed Pukguksong-5ㅅ appears to have a longer warhead length than the Pukguksong-4ㅅ unveiled last year, suggesting a move toward multiple warheads. If deployed on nuclear submarines in the future, it could become a 'game changer' that fundamentally shakes the security environment on the Korean Peninsula. Shin Jong-woo, Secretary General of the Korea Defense and Security Forum, said, "The Pukguksong-5 type has the same body length as before, but the warhead is longer," adding, "It seems they have diversified the types of warheads mounted on the new submarine."

Meanwhile, this is the first time North Korea has held a military parade to commemorate a Party Congress. The 'night parade' is the second of its kind, following the military parade for the 75th anniversary of the Workers' Party last October, and it is unusual to hold another parade just three months later. At the 8th Party Congress, North Korea emphasized strengthening its military power by including it in the Party regulations and disclosed plans for developing nuclear submarines and hypersonic weapons in the Central Committee's work report, highlighting its focus on military enhancement.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.