North Korea's Kim showcases missile capable of reaching US as Trump signals possible meeting

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un showcased a missile with potential to reach the United States at a recently opened defense museum, according to state media KCNA. This came after US President Donald Trump hinted at a possible meeting with Kim during his upcoming Asian tour. Trump is set to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China later this month.

The defense museum displayed various weapons developed under Kim's regime, including the Hwasong-20 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The museum's display of a Hwasong-20 missile with a multiple warhead design and a world map indicating ranges extending beyond the US to the Middle East, Australia, and South America, was interpreted by experts as propaganda meant to boost North Korea's strategic position ahead of a potential summit with the US.

Analysts suggest that the museum also serves as a means for Kim to institutionalize his military achievements and present North Korea's nuclear and missile program as a completed and enduring legacy. The transformation of temporary weapon exhibitions into a permanent museum represents a broader effort to elevate North Korea's weapons displays into lasting symbols of the regime's military accomplishments.

Additionally, North Korea conducted a test-firing of a tactical ballistic missile on Monday, reportedly to confirm the successful upgrade of an unspecified key component. This is the fourth such missile test by Pyongyang in the past month. South Korea's military reported that the launch targeted the sea off its eastern coast, marking the latest in a series of missile tests by North Korea.