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North Korea leader supervises test of new missile system with 'superior combat capability'

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 24 August 2025 10:57 AM

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the testing of a new defense system with "superior combat capability."

Kim oversaw the test-firing of two newly developed types of missiles on Saturday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday.

The new missiles had "superior combat capability" and used a "unique technology", KCNA added, without giving further details.

Pyongyang has bolstered its cooperation with Russia since Moscow launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in February 2022.

Last year, North Korea ratified a mutual defense treaty with Russia, signed by the leaders of the two countries in June, which calls for each side to come to the defense of the other in the event of a foreign attack.

During his visits to Russia, Kim has been asking Russian President Vladimir Putin to deepen their relations.

In his visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome in 2023, Kim said, "I'm honored that President Putin has shown a deep interest, provided an opportunity to engage ... and, given us a chance to gain a deeper understanding of the current and future of a space power."

Kim informed the Russian leader that North Korea sought to advance its satellite technology.

Last week, Kim took part in a ceremony in Pyongyang to honor North Korean soldiers who fought in Ukraine, awarding state "hero" titles to those who returned and placing medals beside 101 portraits of the fallen, praising them as "great men, great heroes and great patriots," state media reported.

Kim has sent thousands of troops and large shipments of weapons, including artillery and ballistic missiles, to aid the Russian troops helping to liberate the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.

South Korean military sources estimate North Korea has sent around 15,000 troops to Russia since last fall and about 600 of them have died in combat.

Kim has also agreed to send thousands of military construction workers and mine removers to Russia's Kursk region, a deployment South Korean intelligence believes could happen soon.