North Korea tests upgraded 240mm guided rocket launcher, claims range of up to 115 km

KCNA reported on September 24 that Kim Jong Un oversaw a test of a technically upgraded 240mm guided multiple rocket launcher. North Korea said two rockets hit targets after travelling on a 100-km ballistic path and a 115-km gliding path. Those performance figures come from North Korean authorities and have not been independently verified by N Globe or Reuters.

Pyongyang said the upgraded system has autonomous precision guidance and is intended for units facing South Korea. Pak Jong Chon, a vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, called for concentrating strike systems near the southern border.

Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification told Reuters that a 240mm launcher could cover the Seoul metropolitan area and South Korean frontline military facilities. He said the claimed guidance technology could reduce accuracy errors to a few metres if proven. That is an analyst assessment, not an independent test result.

South Korea's Defence Ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters. In a separate statement the same day, North Korea's Foreign Ministry called the country's nuclear status irreversible after the United States, South Korea and Japan reiterated their goal of complete denuclearisation.

Verification status: confirmed that the test was publicly announced by North Korean state media; range, accuracy and performance claims are explicitly attributed to North Korea and remain independently unverified. News value: B. Origin region: Asia / North Korea. Primary section: War / military. Related regions: Asia, United States and worldwide. Source time: September 23, 2026, 21:32 UTC. N Globe report time: September 24, 2026, 04:24 UTC.