North Korean leader Kim Jong Un opened a new arms museum to showcase the country’s nuclear missiles, drones and other weapons, vowing to continue their development, according to state media.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) separately published a brief report on Monday’s missile test, claiming it heralded “an important change” in improving all weapons systems.

MISSILE MUSEUM

Tuesday’s KCNA report on the new National Defense Revolution Museum under the Second Economy Commission (제2경제위원회 국방혁명박물관) did not disclose its size or location, but photos suggest it may have been built underground, with weapons on display in long tunnel-like rooms. 

Kim reportedly said at the event that it is “the greatest national treasure house that intensively and intuitively shows how the dignity and security of the DPRK and the happiness of its people are defended and how peace of this land is achieved.”

He said the “powerful Juche-based weaponry … will be developed and completed in a more strenuous manner” in the future and that “the scale and contents of the museum [will be] further expanded and enriched.”

Photos showed a room full of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), displaying both newer solid-fuel models like the Hwasong-20 and liquid-fuel ones like the Hwasong-17. It also showcased hypersonic intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs).

Other rooms held submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), large combat and reconnaissance drones, small suicide drones, cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles, naval systems, tanks, multiple-rocket launch systems (MLRS) and small arms like rocket launchers and rifles.

KCNA said the event took place on Sunday to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea.

NK News analysis comparing satellite imagery with the KCNA photos suggests the museum may be located at what has been known for decades as the “Hagap” suspected nuclear site. Five parallel concrete tunnels were built and buried under dirt there since early 2024, and stepped outer walls to the buried building match the few exterior shots KCNA published.

Planet Labs and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery also show the parking lot was freshly paved between Oct. 8 and 9, just days before the event, and a Sentinel-2 image taken on Oct. 11 shows evidence of multi-colored objects outside the entrance, which could be the chairs and large screens seen in the KCNA photos.

MISSILE TEST

State media also published a short report Tuesday on North Korea’s missile test the previous day, saying it was part of “research for the technical upgrading of an important core element” of the missile.

It did not name any missile, but NK News analysis of the single photo included with the report suggests a variant of the Hwasong-11C short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) was tested.

“The Missile Administration announced that the technical upgrading of the core element is a big success heralding an important change in improving the performance and sophistication of all offensive weapon systems,” KCNA said.

It added that the test “is part of the regular activities of the Missile Administration and its affiliated research institutes to put weapon systems on a highly-developed technological basis.”

South Korean and Japanese military authorities detected the test in real time on Monday, reporting at least two launches at around 9:19 and 9:36 a.m. KST.

According to Tokyo, the first flew around 137 miles (220 km) at a maximum altitude of 12 miles (20 km), and the second around 565 miles (910 km) at a maximum altitude of 43 miles (70 km).

Since North Korea has only claimed a maximum range of 310 miles (500 km) for the Hwasong-11C, there may have been two types of missiles tested despite the short KCNA report only showing one.

The transporter erector launch vehicle (TEL) that appeared to launch the missile in the KCNA photo looked to be the same model previously seen carrying both Hwasong-11C and Hwasong-11E SRBMs. 

North Korea tested an upgraded Hwasong-11E-1 last month using a different TEL. The country also tested an IRBM earlier this month.

Tuesday’s KCNA report on the latest missile test was only published on the international-facing KCNA website, and was not included in the domestic-facing Rodong Sinmun next to the report on Kim Jong Un visiting the new arms museum.

Edited by Kristen Talman

Updated on Oct. 13 at 7:31 p.m. KST with information about the museum’s location