North Korea appears to have awarded again a hero's title and medal to a mobile launch pad for intercontinental ballistic missiles(ICBM).
Footage of the North's recent Hwasong-15 ICBM launch reported on Sunday by the state-run Korean Central Television showed a medal on the door for a driver's seat of a transporter erector launcher(TEL).
The gold star medal appears to have a design similar to that awarded to the Hero of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. The title is awarded to individuals for their contributions to the regime or the party.
According to the Yonhap News, the medal was seen on TELs for Hwasong-15 ICBM in 2018 and 2020 as well during military parades.
Given that it's rare for the North to award the title to an object, not a person, the North is believed to be placing priority on improving TEL mobility.
In the form of a long truck, TEL transports missiles to the desired launch site, erects the launch tube and then launches.