North Korean missiles made with inferior metal and Western components — experts

Radio Svoboda's Donbas Realii project reported the experts' findings.

According to researchers, the North Korean KN-23 missile (officially named Hwasong-11Ga) resembles the Russian Iskander tactical missile system. However, it has a significantly larger warhead — about 500 kg of explosives that leave virtually no fragments, as the explosion occurs in one place, nearly obliterating everything upon impact.

Experts note that North Korean missiles are made from low-quality metal, with welding described as "beginner-level craftsmanship." This makes the Korean missiles identifiable by their welds and rivets. Additionally, Andrii Kulchytskyi, head of the military research lab at KSIFE, displayed a nearly intact bearing produced by the Japanese corporation NSK, as indicated by its markings.

“We examined the use of four North Korean missiles here in Kyiv region. None of them hit their targets; the dispersion across fields was significant, and determining their intended trajectory is very difficult,” said Kulchytskyi.

However, he noted that certain fragments, even visually, confirm the origin of the missile. Specifically, the expert displayed a side section with remnants of a fairing — a component on the missile body designed to protect it from external stresses.

“We conducted comparisons and measurements showing that the bolts on the missile body precisely match those found on North Korean missiles,” Andrii Kulchytskyi explained, referencing photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the February 11 factory in Hamhung, where these ballistic missiles are produced. The photos were published by North Korea’s central news agency in January 2024, and recent reports indicate that North Korea is expanding production at the site.

The use of Western components in North Korean missiles was also noted by the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NACO), which examined the remnants of a missile that fell in Ukraine's Poltava region in September 2024.

“We identified several components from different countries and companies, primarily American. One company is essentially Dutch but also has operations in the U.S., so it can be considered Dutch-American. Additionally, we found components from Switzerland and the UK,” said NACO senior researcher Viktoriia Vyshnivska.

According to her, the British company responded to the researchers’ inquiry, claiming that the components in the missile were counterfeit. However, the same cannot be said about other Western parts.

The researcher noted that it is impossible to completely block the supply of microelectronics to Russia, Iran, or North Korea. However, she emphasized that such imports should be made as difficult as possible through stricter export controls and secondary sanctions on countries assisting these states in acquiring microelectronics.

“From other colleagues’ publications, they managed to trace certain components that ended up in North Korea, most likely coming from China,” added Viktoriia Vyshnivska.

According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR), North Korea has supplied Russia with over 100 KN-23 missiles. Additionally, North Korean military specialists are in Russia servicing launch systems. Analysts estimate that more than half of the artillery ammunition in the Russian army currently may originate from North Korea. Furthermore, North Korea has reportedly sent 11,000 soldiers to Russia, now stationed in the Kursk region.

North Korea denies both supplying weapons to Russia and sending its military personnel there.

• On December 27, White House spokesperson John Kirby stated that North Korean troops are suffering massive losses on the front lines of Russia's war against Ukraine: in the past week alone, 1,000 of their soldiers were killed or wounded in Russia's Kursk region.
• Russian lower-level commanders are concealing the true extent of losses among North Korean troops stationed in the Kursk region from their higher command.