The Kumsong-3 (U.S. designation: KN-19) is a North Korean variant of the Soviet-designed Kh-35 antiship cruise missile (ASCM). Though its capabilities have not been publicized, the Kumsong-3 likely shares performance characteristics with the Kh-35, which features a range of 130 – 250 km. This represents a significant capability improvement over the KN-01, a North Korean ASCM derived from earlier Soviet and Chinese designs.

Kumsong-3 Development / Acquisition

North Korea acquired the Kh-35 antiship missile—the basis for the Kumsong-3—sometime before 2014. While some speculate that Pyongyang purchased the initial missiles directly from Russia, others suggest that it acquired the Kh-35 from Myanmar, which has exchanged military technology North Korea in the past.¹ Russia has sold the Kh-35 to India, Vietnam, Algeria, and several others, while Ukraine produces an improved variant, the Neptune, which entered service in 2020.

North Korea first revealed the Kumsong-3 in a propaganda video released in June 2014, and documented its first known flight test on February 7, 2015.² According to North Korean state media, the missile was launched from a patrol boat and flew a range of 200 km.

In an April 15, 2017 military parade, North Korea displayed a tracked vehicle with a four-canister launcher for the Kumsong-3 missile. ³ On June 8, 2017, North Korea fired four Kumsong-3 missiles from Wonsan in its first test of the ground-launched system. According to South Korean officials, the missiles flew 200 km and reached a maximum altitude of 2km before landing in the Sea of Japan.⁴

On April 14, 2020, North Korea conducted a second test of the ground-launched Kumsong-3, firing “multiple” missiles near Munchon near the country’s east coast. The missiles flew over 150 km before impacting in the sea.⁵ North Korea may have conducted an additional test on March 21, 2021, launching two unnamed cruise missiles from the west coast city of Onchon into the Yellow Sea.[“North Korea missiles: Biden says launch ‘not provocation,'” BBC News, March 23, 2021, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56504040; Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee, “White House: North Korea conducted short-range missile test,” The Associated Press, March 23, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/antony-blinken-south-korea-north-korea-united-states-cd7b4dd2142258e172e2ad3a932bc38d.[/note]

Specifications

The Kumsong-3’s appearance and performance closely resembles the Soviet-designed Kh-35 subsonic ASCM. Like the Kh-35, the Kumsong-3 can travel to ranges greater than 200km and cruises at low altitudes—less than 2km. The Kh-35 measures 4.4 meters long with a diameter of 0.42 meters, and has a launch weight of 620 kg.

The Kumsong-3’s true range remains a matter of speculation. Both test flights achieved a range of 200 kilometers. This could suggest that the Kumsong-3 is based on the newer, longer-range Kh-35(U) variant. Alternatively, it could also indicate that North Korea has modified older Kh-35 designs with an enhanced propulsion system, a lighter payload, or both.

Kumsong-3 features a different body length and booster separation procedure from the Kh-35. The missile may also feature an infrared terminal seeker.⁶ In its July 2017 tests, the Kumsong-3 was reported to have “successfully demonstrated waypoint maneuvers in flight at a range of 240 kilometers and featured…considerably upgraded seekers, comprising of active radar and infrared homing for terminal guidance.”⁷