Read North Korea’s Official Announcement as it Forward Deploys 1000 Manoeuvrable Solid Fuelled Precision Guided Missiles

On August 4 North Korea’s ruling Korean Workers’ Party handed over 1000 new KN-24 tactical ballistic missiles to Korean People’s Army frontline units, with the handover ceremony seeing one of largest displays of ballistic missiles in world history. Deployed from mobile transporter erector launchers, each of which carries four missiles, the KN-24’s sold fuel composite allows missiles to be stored fully fuelled and fired with a very short preparation time, which makes countering the arsenal particularly difficult for potential adversaries. The fact that the missiles are confirmed by both local and U.S. sources to be able to manoeuvre significantly during flight to evade interception, and to use precision guidance, makes the new arsenal a game changer for the balance of power across the inter-Korean demilitarised zone. With the KN-24 having only begun flight testing in late 2019, the display of over 1000 of the missiles indicates a production rate of at least 200-300 missiles per year, making it potentially the most widely produced ballistic missile class in the world. It is rivalled only by the Russian 9K720 used by the Iskander-M system, albeit only due to a surge in production in Russia to meet wartime needs. 

In light of the significance of the commissioning of the new missile arsenal, the official statement by the North Korean state run Korean Central News Agency is attached below. The statement refers to the country by its official name the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK):

“The Workers' Party of Korea, which set forth the grand national defence development strategy for accomplishing the cause of building a rich country with strong army at the historic Eighth Congress, has dynamically led its implementation, thus firmly defending and vigorously directing the all-people grand advance toward comprehensive national prosperity by dint of the rapid modernisation and super power of the armed forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Thanks to the heroic struggle of the munitions workers, who have performed miracles unconditionally in hearty response to the calls of the Party and the revolution, the ultra-modern weapons and equipment that provided the Korean People's Army with invincible might in recent years make the people of the DPRK more strongly feel the pride of living in a powerful nation self-reliant in defence and the dignity of the strong, add to their confidence in the rosy future of their country guaranteed by tremendous military strength and redouble their courage.”

“Demonstrating the indefinite development of the national defence capabilities and the great leaps forward in modernising the powerful army, which serve as a powerful pillar and driving force for achieving great victories successively in the future revolutionary struggle, a ceremony for transferring 250 new-type tactical ballistic missile launchers produced at major munitions industrial establishments to the frontier military units of the DPRK took place in the capital city of Pyongyang with splendour.

The workers of major munitions enterprises, fully awakened to the sense of their important mission that the increased production of military hardware precisely means the safeguarding of the national dignity and sovereignty, have waged an intensive struggle to successfully attain the important munitions production goals set forth at the Eighth Party Congress and the enlarged meetings of the Central Military Commission of the WPK. Thus, they have performed the proud feats of serially producing in a short span of time main strike military hardware indispensable for implementing the Party's military strategic idea.

A ceremony for commemorating the transfer of new-type tactical ballistic missile weapon system took place on August 4. The venue of the ceremony where another defence asset of great value in military strategy, which will serve as the pivot military hardware in our armed forces, lined up, demonstrating peculiar figures, was filled with great pride in the dignity and mightiness of the sacred country, which will be further strengthened along with the entities of the successful second revolution in the defence industry being confidently led by the great Party Central Committee.”

[KCNA reported that Chairman Kim Jong Un of the ruling Workers’ Party:] “paid tribute to the ultra-modern military hardware comprehensively reflecting the pure conscience and noble outlook on life of the munitions industrial workers, who have regarded it as the demands of the revolution and their bounden duty to carry out the determination and plan of the Party Central Committee on rapidly bolstering up the muscle of our forces to the maximum without a moment's hesitation and stop, and upheld them with boundless revolutionary enthusiasm and fighting will, steadfast and perfect creative spirit and mettle.

The ceremony was attended by leading officials of the Party, the government and the military, officials of the Party Central Committee, defence scientists, officials, technicians and workers in the munitions industry field, and persons of merits in Pyongyang Municipality. Also present there were the commanders of services, commanders of large combined units and service personnel of the KPA.”

“Jo Chun Ryong, secretary of the WPK Central Committee, courteously reported to Kim Jong Un that his special order on munitions production was successfully implemented. The secretary mentioned that the munitions industrial officials and workers finished the production of 250 new-type tactical ballistic missile launchers, true to the strategic plan of the Party Central Committee, and were ready to transfer them to KPA units. He said in an excited tone that the new-type tactical ballistic missile weapon system newly developed and produced by munitions industrial workers is a powerful up-to-date tactical attack weapon.... the soldiers of the munitions industry learned the immutable philosophy that there is nothing impossible for them to do and they can ceaselessly achieve world-startling miraculous successes if they conduct a scientific operation and engage in absolute practice with their hearts pulsating with Kim Jong Un's extraordinary revolutionary enthusiasm and grandiose plan, he stressed…”

“Kim Jong Un made a historic speech. After declaring with pride that an important task specified in the practical guidelines for bolstering the military muscle, decided at the 8th WPK Congress and enlarged meetings of the Central Military Commission of the Party held in the term of the 8th Party Central Committee, has been successfully carried out, Kim Jong Un expressed warm thanks, on behalf of the Party and the government, to the workers, scientists and officials in the munitions industry field who proudly fulfilled the revolutionary task of great strategic significance in steadily bolstering up the nation's military muscle for self-defence. On the basis of a serious analysis of the important political and military significance highlighted by the magnificent demonstration, the first of its kind ever since the foundation of our country and army, the crucial change in the military security environment facing our country, and the U.S. and its followers' ever-escalating military confrontation moves.”