North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a defence industry museum displaying an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States, state media KCNA showed on Tuesday.
– The report came a day after US President Donald Trump said he might meet Kim during a planned trip to Asia. Trump is expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China in mid-November.
– Kim, accompanied by his daughter known as Ju Ae and wife Ri Sol Ju, attended the opening of the newly opened Defence Revolution Museum on Sunday, KCNA said.
– The museum displayed weaponry developed under Kim’s leadership ranging from drones to the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), KCNA photographs showed.
– A display in front of the Hwasong-20 launcher appeared to show a multiple warhead design and a world map depicting ranges extending beyond the US mainland to the Middle East, Australia and South America, said Shin Jong-woo, Secretary General of the Korea Defence and Security Forum.
– “The exhibition appears intended to highlight the achievements of Kim’s defence science development programme,” Shin said. “It gave the impression of propaganda aimed at gaining a strategic advantage ahead of potential a North Korea-US summit.”
– Analysts said the museum also reflected a broader effort by Kim to elevate North Korea’s weapons displays into lasting symbols of the regime’s military accomplishments.
– “By turning what were once temporary weapons exhibitions into a permanent museum, Kim is institutionalising his military achievements and portraying North Korea’s nuclear and missile buildup as a completed and enduring legacy,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies.
– Separately, North Korea said it test-fired a tactical ballistic missile on Monday to confirm the successful technical upgrade of an unspecified key component.
– KCNA said the upgrade marked an important step in improving the performance of all offensive weapons systems, without providing further details.
– South Korea’s military said on Monday that North Korea had fired multiple ballistic missiles towards the sea off its east coast. The launch was Pyongyang’s fourth in a month, following Seoul’s recent test of a hypersonic missile.