North Korea Conducts New Cluster‑Bomb Missile Test as Kim Jong Un Oversees Launch With Daughter

North Korea has carried out another round of ballistic missile tests equipped with cluster bomb warheads, marking its second such launch this month and underscoring its push to strengthen capabilities designed to penetrate US and South Korean defenses.

According to state media KCNA, leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the launch of five upgraded Hwasong‑11 Ra surface‑to‑surface ballistic missiles, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju Ae, who South Korea’s intelligence service recently assessed could be considered his heir. Photos released by KCNA showed the pair in black leather jackets watching from a coastal observation post as missiles streaked across the sky.

KCNA said the missiles struck an island target with “high‑density striking capability,” and Kim expressed satisfaction with the results, calling the test “of weighty significance” for enhancing battlefield effectiveness. Earlier this month, North Korea tested Hwasong‑11 Ka missiles with cluster warheads capable of devastating areas up to 7 hectares. Business Standard

Analysts say the ongoing Iran war may be motivating Pyongyang to showcase and accelerate its cluster‑munitions program, as the conflict has highlighted the destructive potential of such weapons. Israel has accused Iran of using cluster munitions to strain its air defenses a tactic North Korea may be seeking to emulate.

More than 120 countries have banned cluster munitions, but North Korea, Iran, Israel and the United States are not signatories to the treaty.

North Korea has been expanding its weapons arsenal since nuclear diplomacy with US President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019, pursuing multi‑warhead missiles, hypersonic weapons and submarine‑launched ballistic missiles systems that could overwhelm allied missile defenses.

Trump has recently expressed interest in reviving dialogue with Kim, and the North Korean leader has signaled openness to talks but only if Washington drops its demand for denuclearization as a precondition. With Trump scheduled to meet China’s Xi Jinping in Beijing in May, observers believe Pyongyang’s intensified testing may be aimed at boosting its leverage ahead of any diplomatic opening.