North Korea shows new long-range nuke as Kim heads to meet Xi, Putin

North Korea publicly unveiled its new long-range nuclear missile, the Hwasong-20, as leader Kim Jong Un prepared to attend a military parade in China alongside Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. The missile features a newly developed solid-fuel engine generating a maximum thrust of 1,960 kilonewtons, intended for use in both the existing Hwasong-19 ICBM and the future Hwasong-20 system. This solid-fuel technology, developed using carbon-fiber composite materials, allows for quicker missile deployment compared to traditional liquid-fuel designs. Kim’s inspection of the missile research institute and a new automated missile production facility highlights North Korea’s efforts to modernize its defense industry and enhance its strategic missile capabilities. The announcement comes amid North Korea’s broader goal to strengthen its nuclear arsenal’s range, payload capacity, and survivability to evade U.S. and allied missile defenses. The Hwasong-18, unveiled last year, reportedly has a range exceeding 15,