North Korea conducts test for missile it claims can target US mainland

North Korea on Sunday conducted a missile test for an upgraded solid-fuel engine it says can reach the U.S. mainland, according to state media. 

The country reported the engine’s maximum thrust is 2,500 kilonewtons, noting an increase from a 1,970-kilonewtons test in September, according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). 

The test took place at an undisclosed location, state media reported. It was not covered by independent journalists. 

However, the government did provide photos of the test. 

Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, said Pyongyang is likely “bluffing” about the missile and its ability to reach the U.S. mainland, according to The Associated Press.

The missile test was done in conjunction with the country’s five-year plan to build up its “strategic strike means,” AP reported.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the test had “great significance in putting the country’s strategic military muscle on the highest level,” KCNA reported.

In recent years, North Korea has bolstered its defense partnership with Russia, sending troops to bolster Moscow’s war in Ukraine in exchange for support for its missile program.

President Trump has expressed an openness to resuming talks with Kim over North Korea’s nuclear program, but there have been no signs of diplomatic progress.

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