North Korea has inaugurated its first museum dedicated exclusively to military hardware, showcasing everything from small arms to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). The National Defence Revolution Museum opened on Sunday in Pyongyang, with leader Kim Jong-un presiding over the ceremony alongside his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and daughter, Kim Ju-ae.
The museum displays a wide array of the country’s weapons systems, including drones, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, the Hwasong-20 ICBM, and the hypersonic Hwasong-16MA missile. The Hwasong-20 is an untested, next-generation missile that North Korea claims can strike anywhere in the United States. Other exhibits feature a 600mm super-large multiple rocket launcher and the Bada-suri anti-ship missile. Accompanying the missiles are diagrams illustrating multiple warhead technology and global strike ranges spanning regions such as South America, Australia, and the Middle East.
In his opening remarks, Kim described the museum as an “immortal” repository of North Korea’s arms development and a “national treasure.” He emphasized that the institution demonstrated how the country’s “dignity and security” have been defended, and how peace on the Korean Peninsula has been maintained. Kim also signaled that the museum’s size and contents would continue to expand over time.
Experts view the museum as a strategic move to cement North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs as irreversible components of state policy. Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University’s Institute for Far Eastern Studies, noted that the permanent display not only showcases the regime’s military modernization but also serves to preserve Kim’s legacy. According to Lim, this indicates Pyongyang’s intention to solidify its status as a nuclear-armed state rather than using its arsenal solely as leverage in future negotiations.
Oh Gyeong-seob, senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, suggested the museum’s establishment further complicates prospects for resolving the nuclear dispute through dialogue. Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, added that by institutionalizing weapons displays, North Korea aims to normalize their presence in public life, moving beyond periodic parades and exhibitions. He also suggested the museum targets both domestic audiences and foreign visitors, possibly including potential arms buyers from countries such as Russia, Iran, and Pakistan.
While the exhibits highlight North Korea’s military advances, Yang noted some items on display may be replicas or empty shells, a precaution taken to safeguard sensitive technology and contain security risks.
The presence of Kim’s wife and daughter during the opening ceremony carried symbolic weight domestically, signaling continuity of leadership and the endurance of the country’s strategic achievements for future generations. Experts contend that the museum also plays a role in bolstering national pride and cohesion amid ongoing economic challenges by underscoring the regime’s resilience and the importance of defending the state.
The museum comes amid growing military developments on the peninsula. Just one day after the museum’s opening, North Korea test-fired a tactical ballistic missile, which state media described as a test of a “technical upgrading of an important core element” in its offensive weapons systems. This test followed South Korea’s announcement earlier last week of its first successful launch of a domestically developed hypersonic glide vehicle, highlighting ongoing military competition between the two Koreas.