North Korea displays new sniper rifle

North Korean state media has released fresh images and a report detailing Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un’s recent visit to a special operations training center, where he personally supervised weapons trials and observed live-fire exercises involving elite Korean People’s Army (KPA) units.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim oversaw both automatic rifle and sniper rifle firing drills, personally test-firing a new precision weapon said to be entering service with North Korea’s special operations forces.

“He personally conducted test firing of the sniper rifle that will be supplied to special operations units, examined the results, and expressed great satisfaction with the characteristics and power of the sniper weapon of our design,” the KCNA report stated.

The rifle, shown in images published by North Korean media, appears to closely resemble the Steyr-Mannlicher SSG 08, a bolt-action sniper rifle originally developed in Austria.

It remains unclear whether the rifles displayed are imported, illegally copied, or domestically manufactured under reverse engineering.

The appearance of what may be a Steyr-type sniper system in North Korean hands raises fresh questions about Pyongyang’s access to restricted military-grade technology, despite international sanctions and arms embargoes. Western analysts have often warned about North Korea’s ongoing efforts to acquire and replicate advanced small arms for use by its elite units.

Kim’s hands-on involvement in weapons testing also underscores his regime’s focus on advancing tactical capabilities across all branches of the military, even as Pyongyang continues to invest heavily in ballistic missile development and nuclear weapons.