South Korean Intelligence Report Says North Korea's New Missiles Don't Use New Machines

The launch of the new intercontinental ballistic missile North Korea Hwasong-19. (Source: KCNA)

South Korean lawmakers said South Korea's new intercontinental ballistic missile launch (ICBM) Hwasong-19 recently, believed to be without a new booster engine, amid Russian suspicions it may have provided North Korea with technical assistance for the missile launch.

"Considering the long increase and diameter of the missile body as well as the maximum increased altitude, Hwasong-19 is considered a new type of ICBM that is different from Hwasong-18," the Defense Intelligence Agency said in a report to MP Yu Yong-weon of the ruling People's Power Party, quoted from The Korea Times 11 November.

North Korea confirmed it had successfully carried out a new Hwasong-19 ICBM fire test on October 31, calling it the "extreme" version of its long-range missile range. The missile reached its highest altitude and flew for a long time.

Photos of state media showed the missile was fired from an erector carrier (TEL) 11 axis estimated to be about 30 meters long which appears to be larger than all existing North Korean missile launcher vehicles.

Previously, Pyongyang revealed testing new engines for missiles in the past. However, the military said it had not detected additional testing signatures for dense-fuel engines since March 20, when North Korean state media contained reports of land jet test claims from dense-fuel engines for a new type of medium-range hypersonic missile.

"The assessment of the possibility of North Korea receiving support from Russia on technology that can be applied to the development of ballistic missiles, under the name'space technology cooperation,' cannot be ruled out," the military said in the report.

North Korea appears to be accelerating the development of its missiles with a focus on solid-fuel ICBMs that are considered more difficult to detect before launch, compared to liquid-fuel ICBMs because they require less preparation procedures, such as fuel injections.

North Korea launched the Hwasong-18 solid-fueled ICBM three times last year in April, July and December.

North Korea's state news agency claims the latest ICBM, Hwasong-19, is the strongest strategic missile in the world.

"The new type of ICBM proves to the world the hegemonic position we have secured in the development and manufacture of nuclear shipments," said Kim Jong-un, who directly oversees the launch.

In the photo shared by KCNA, leader Kim is seen having a dialogue with military officials near a vehicle carrying a missile launcher. The launch position is not yet open.

At the time of launch, Leader Kim observed with the naked eye, before monitoring the missile via video live.