North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a defense industry museum featuring an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States. Reuters reports, writes UNN.
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The report came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said he might meet with Kim during a planned trip to Asia. In mid-November, Trump is expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China.
According to media reports, on Sunday Kim, together with his daughter, known as Ju Ae, and his wife, Ri Sol Ju, attended the opening of the recently established Museum of the Defense Revolution.
KCNA photographs show that the museum features weapons systems developed under Kim’s leadership, ranging from drones to the "Hwasong-20" intercontinental ballistic missile.
According to Shin Jong Woo, secretary general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum, the exhibit in front of the "Hwasong-20" launch vehicle appeared to display a design with multiple warheads and a world map showing the strike range extending beyond the continental United States, including the Middle East, Australia and South America.
The exhibition appears intended to showcase the achievements of Kim’s defense science development program. It gave the impression of a propaganda event aimed at gaining a strategic advantage ahead of a possible North Korea-U.S. summit
Analysts noted that the museum also reflects Kim’s broader efforts to turn displays of North Korean weapons into lasting symbols of the regime’s military achievements.
By transforming temporary weapons exhibitions into a permanent museum, Kim is cementing his military achievements and presenting the buildup of North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities as a completed legacy that will endure for a long time
Separately, North Korea said it conducted a test launch of a tactical ballistic missile on Monday to confirm the successful technical improvement of one of its key components, without specifying which component was involved.
According to KCNA, the improvement was an important step toward enhancing the effectiveness of all offensive weapons systems. The agency provided no further details.