On October 10, 2025, a military parade was held in Pyongyang to mark the 80th anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea, during which the new Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was unveiled for the first time. This was reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The Hwasong-20 is equipped with a new powerful solid-fuel engine with a claimed thrust of about 1,971 kilonewtons (kN), created using carbon fiber composite, providing about 40% more power compared to the previous Hwasong-18 model. Engine tests have been ongoing since 2023 and were successfully completed shortly before the missile's public demonstration.
According to analysts, the solid-fuel Hwasong-20 system offers significantly faster deployment times and higher levels of mobility compared to previous liquid-fueled models, a priority for Pyongyang. Due to its large size, the Hwasong-20 is believed to be capable of carrying multiple individually guided warheads (MIRV).
The Hwasong-20 is a further development of the three-stage Hwasong-19, introduced in 2024. The previous model had a launch weight of up to 70 tons, a length of about 28 meters and an engine with a thrust of up to 1960 kN. According to experts in the Asia-Pacific region, the range of the new missile remains at up to 15 thousand kilometers, but the Hwasong-20 is capable of developing a higher speed, which is considered a more relevant indicator.
In addition, the parade once again showed the KN-23 operational-tactical missile system with the new short/medium-range Hwasong-11Ma missile, which previously debuted at the North Korean exhibition "National Defense Development-2025".
The Hwasong-11Ma is a further modification of the Hwasong-11 series of missiles based on the Russian Iskander systems. It is equipped with a maneuverable warhead in the form of a boost-glide glider with wings, which allows it to change its trajectory during flight and makes it difficult to intercept by missile defense systems.
According to preliminary data, the missile is capable of speeds exceeding Mach 5, which classifies it as hypersonic. Tests of such gliders in the DPRK have been ongoing since 2021, and in January 2024 a test was conducted using a solid-fuel booster instead of a liquid-fuel engine. The use of solid fuel makes the system more mobile and suitable for launch within minutes.
We previously reported that North Korea showed off its version of the Russian Pantsir SAM system and pickup-based "tank destroyers" at a defense exhibition, which have already been used against Ukraine.