North Korea unveils ‘most powerful nuke system’ capable of hitting United States

North Korea has unveiled its latest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the Hwasong-20, during a grand military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, according to state media reports on Saturday.

The newly developed missile, described as the country’s most powerful nuclear system to date, is said to be capable of reaching the entire U.S. mainland.

The nighttime parade took place Friday at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un presiding over the event. High-level representatives from China, Russia, Vietnam, and other nations attended, signaling Kim’s intent to strengthen ties with allies amid tensions with the West.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) hailed the Hwasong-20 as “the most powerful nuclear strategic weapon system,” emphasizing its role in demonstrating North Korea’s nuclear capabilities before an audience of foreign dignitaries.

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Analysts see the display of the Hwasong-20—believed to have the range to hit the U.S.—as a calculated move to highlight the North’s advancing arsenal and reaffirm its status as a nuclear-armed state.

During his address, Kim urged the military to continue its evolution into an “invincible” force.

“Our army should continue to grow into an invincible entity that destroys all threats approaching our range of self-defense by dint of its political, ideological, military and technical superiority overwhelming the enemy, and it should steadily strengthen itself into elite armed forces which win victory after victory on the strength of morality and discipline,” he said.

“The heroic fighting spirit displayed, and the victory achieved, by our revolutionary armed forces on the foreign battlefields for international justice and genuine peace, demonstrated the ideological and spiritual perfection of our army,” he added.

Kim made no direct mention of the United States or South Korea in his remarks.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Vietnamese leader To Lam, and Russia’s Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, were among the prominent foreign guests present. KCNA reported that as the Hwasong-20 rolled into the square, “the eruption of spectators’ enthusiastic cheers reached its peak.”

Last month, the North’s state media announced the successful test of a new high-thrust solid-fuel missile engine, designed for the Hwasong-20. KCNA said it was the ninth and final engine test, producing a maximum thrust of 1,971 kilonewtons. Experts predict the missile may eventually be equipped with multiple warheads, heightening concerns over its potential threat to the U.S.

Also featured in the parade were hypersonic missiles, capable of evading missile defense systems, as well as an array of strategic and conventional weapons including Chonma-20 tanks, 155-mm howitzers, 600-mm multiple rocket launchers, and cruise and surface-to-surface missiles.

KCNA said:“Strategic weapon systems, the core of absolute power and the essence of our party’s continuously strengthened self-defense capabilities to safeguard the rights to survival, development and peace, entered the square.”

Defense Minister No Kwang-chol led the parade, with troops from strategic missile and special operations units marching in formation. The agency highlighted the “invincible” foreign operations unit—believed to have fought alongside Russia in Ukraine—as part of the procession.

Friday’s event followed Kim’s appearance alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during a September 3 parade in Beijing, underscoring growing military and diplomatic solidarity between the three nations.