North Korea conducts cluster warhead tests for ballistic missiles and cruise missiles

North Korea has conducted two separate tests involving cluster warheads, according to reports from state media and military officials.

Ballistic Missile Cluster Warhead Test

On October 31, 2026, North Korea's Missile Administration conducted a test to assess the combat adaptation and destructive power of a cluster warhead intended for tactical ballistic missiles, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The test was overseen by General Kim Jong Sik, a member of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Military Commission and first vice department director of its Central Committee.

According to the Ballistic Missile System Institute and Warhead Institute, the "Standard Type 2 cluster-bomb warhead is capable of turning into ashes a target area of 12 to 13 hectares with its highest-density power."

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirmed it detected a missile launched from the Chongju area of North Pyongan Province toward the Yellow Sea on October 31. The JCS stated, “Our military is closely monitoring various developments in North Korea while maintaining the capabilities and readiness to respond overwhelmingly to any provocation.”

Cruise Missile Cluster Warhead Test

On November 2, 2026, North Korea conducted a power assessment test of a strategic cruise missile dispersal warhead and a test of its vertical-strike flight characteristics, according to KCNA.

The Warhead Research Institute announced that the test confirmed a medium-sized dispersal warhead mounted on a cruise missile can "completely devastate a target area of 5–6 jeongbo... at an extremely high density."

The Missile General Bureau’s Cruise Missile Systems Research Institute claimed that by improving terminal maneuvering characteristics, they have "completed the capability to strike targets vertically."

Operational Plans and Regional Response

The unnamed general director of the DPRK Missile Administration stated, “Within this year we will enable units to select and use all those types according to operational aims and specific features of targets.”

China has called for a political settlement to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning stated, "We hope the relevant parties will face up to the root cause of the Korean Peninsula issue, stick to the direction of political settlement, and make efforts to ease tensions and maintain peace and stability in the region."

Why it matters

Cluster munitions disperse submunitions over a wide area, which can leave unexploded ordnance that threatens civilian life. North Korea is not a party to the U.N. Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of these weapons.

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Sources

• nknews.org: North Korea tests cluster warhead, plans military use by end of 2026 | NK News
• news.az: China calls for de-escalation after North Korea's latest missile test | News.az
• upi.com: North Korea tests missile warhead designed for wide-area attacks - UPI.com
• chosun.com: North Korea Tests Cluster Bombs, Drones to Overwhelm South
• koreajoongangdaily.com: North Korea tests cluster warhead amid conventional weapons buildup
• en.fnnews.com: North Korea Tested the ‘Devil’s Weapon’ Cluster Warhead on a Cruise Missile the Day Before; Target Obliterated - First-Class Business Newspaper Financial News

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.