North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has announced plans to further bolster the country’s nuclear arsenal and develop new strategic weapons. He also called for an expansion of weapon systems targeting South Korea.
On Thursday, the state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported that during a summary of party activities from January 20-21 at the 9th Workers’ Party Congress, Kim declared the party’s unwavering resolve to fight more boldly for the continuous strengthening and development of self-defensive national defense capabilities, which are the cornerstone of the nation’s existence.
Kim stated that it has plans to strengthen our national nuclear forces year by year. It will focus on increasing the nuclear weapons stockpile and expanding the means and scope of their deployment. He indicated that North Korea would ramp up production of nuclear weapons and diversify its arsenal.
He added that it will update supplementary strike capabilities and operational support systems to enhance the military effectiveness of the various nuclear weapons in line with the evolving capabilities and long-term objectives. This reveals Pyongyang’s intention to continuously develop complementary systems for more effective utilization of its nuclear arsenal.
This approach aligns with North Korea’s newly announced strategy of pursuing nuclear and conventional forces simultaneously. It suggests a plan to overwhelm South Korea with advanced conventional weapons while targeting the U.S. mainland and strategic assets with nuclear weapons.
However, Kim noted that its adversaries are unaware of the plans and calculations. They cannot know, nor should they. He emphasized that this creates inescapable anxiety and fear for adversaries, underscoring a commitment to strategic ambiguity by concealing specific strategies.
Kim highlighted several areas requiring strengthening.
Rodong Sinmun reported that he placed significant importance on rapidly and continuously enhancing naval operational capabilities, focusing on the nuclear armament of surface and underwater forces. This move appears linked to North Korea’s construction of a nuclear missile-launching submarine in 2023 and recent claims of building their first nuclear-powered submarine.
Kim emphasized that it must resolutely implement the party’s military strategic directive to fortify the southern border with South Korea as swiftly as possible and bolster surveillance and firepower systems.
He stated that it will strengthen our war deterrence capabilities by incrementally deploying main strike weapons such as 600mm multiple rocket launchers, new 240mm rocket systems, and operational tactical missile complexes. This will significantly increase the density and sustainability of the concentrated strikes.
Additionally, the party’s Central Military Commission outlined major tasks related to the development of new secret weapons and special strategic assets during the upcoming five-year defense development plan (2026-2030) launched at this party congress.
Kim reaffirmed that North Korea’s status as a nuclear power is now enshrined in the constitution and emphasized the commitment to maintain and further develop this status.
He mentioned the integrated nuclear crisis response system dubbed the nuclear trigger, established in 2023, stating that through operational testing of this system and various drills to master nuclear weapon handling protocols and procedures, it will enhance the combat readiness of the nuclear forces to ensure the nuclear shield can activate swiftly and accurately in any situation.