South Korea’s Military chief says Russian Tech Possibly went into North Korea’s new İntercontinental Missile

South Korea’s chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Tuesday that Russian technology may have gone into North Korea’s new intercontinental ballistic missile, which was showcased at a military parade last week in Pyongyang.

“We are analyzing whether there was any transfer of Russian technology,” Chairman Kim Myung-soo told lawmakers during a parliamentary session. “At this point, it is difficult to confirm, but the possibility cannot be ruled out.”

Nuclear-armed North Korea unveiled its most advanced Hwasong-20 ICBM during an elaborate parade on Oct. 10 to mark the ruling Workers’ Party anniversary. State media called the new missile the country’s “most powerful strategic weapon,” claiming it had been developed with entirely domestic technology.

Kim’s remarks follow growing Western concern that Moscow and Pyongyang have deepened military-technical cooperation, with Western officials alleging that North Korea has supplied Russia with artillery and missiles for use in Ukraine.

South Korea’s defense ministry said that any transfer of missile technology would constitute a serious violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions, which ban all forms of weapons collaboration with North Korea.

“If these suspicions are confirmed,” Kim added, “it would mean a significant breach of international sanctions and a major proliferation risk.”

The United States and South Korea have recently strengthened their intelligence coordination to detect signs of military exchanges between Russia and North Korea. Washington has warned that any support from Russia could accelerate Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons development and undermine global non-proliferation efforts.

Analysts said the Hwasong-20 appeared to be a larger variant of earlier solid-fuel ICBMs, potentially capable of carrying multiple warheads, though such capabilities remain unverified.

“The design similarities to Russian systems are notable,” said Joseph Dempsey, a defense researcher at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “It would not be surprising if Russian engineers had at least advised on some components.”

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied accusations of supplying weapons or missile technology to North Korea. Pyongyang’s state media, meanwhile, insists that its latest missile systems were developed entirely with indigenous technology and serve only “defensive purposes.”

Regional security experts warn that any proven technological collaboration would heighten tensions across East Asia and further complicate U.S. efforts to contain both North Korea’s nuclear ambitions and Russia’s deepening isolation from the West.
 

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/south-koreas-military-chief-says-russian-tech-possibly-went-into-north-koreas-2025-10-14/