North Korea opens defense museum showcasing slew of weapons

by Lee Hugh Posted : October 13, 2026, 11:13Updated : October 13, 2026, 11:13
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un center attends the opening ceremony of a new defense museum at an undisclosed location in Pyongyang on Sunday in this photo released by the state-run North Korean Central News Agency KCNA two days later
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (center) attends the opening ceremony of a new defense museum at an undisclosed location in Pyongyang on Sunday, in this photo released by the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) two days later.
SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - North Korea opened a new museum over the weekend showcasing a range of weapons and military equipment, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) under development, with its leader Kim Jong-un in attendance, state media reported on Tuesday.

The museum's opening ceremony was held last Sunday to mark the 81st founding anniversary of the Workers' Party, which fell on Oct. 10, according to the state-run [North] Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim toured the museum along with senior party and military officials and vowed to continue developing and strengthening the country's military arsenal. His wife Ri Sol-ju and daughter Ju-ae also attended the ceremony.

KCNA quoted Kim as describing the museum as a "precious monument" that could be built only by a powerful state and people capable of defending themselves.

He said it was the party's "due obligation" to develop North Korea's defense industry into the world’s most powerful, adding that the country's weapons, based on the "juche" or self-reliance ideological doctrine, would continue to be developed alongside an expansion of the museum's scale and exhibits.

Photos released by state media showed an array of weapons and military equipment on display, ranging from combat gear to drones, missiles and multiple rocket launchers.

The exhibits also included the Hwasong-20 ICBM, which is under development, a new submarine-launched ballistic missile and 600-millimeter super-large multiple rocket launchers, displayed alongside world maps suggesting they could reach the U.S. mainland, the Middle East and South America.