Kim Jong-un flags continued missile development

State media KCNA said North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited major munitions enterprises in the last quarter of 2025, signaling that the country would continue developing missiles in the next five years.

According to KCNA, Kim says “the country’s missile and artillery shell production sector is of great importance in strengthening war deterrence.”

KCNA said Kim approved draft documents for the modernization of major munitions enterprises to be submitted to a key party congress expected in early 2026 that will determine a development plan for North Korea for the next five years.

The KCNA report came after it was revealed on Thursday that Kim, along with his potential heir daughter, oversaw the construction of an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine and the test firings of long-range surface-to-air missiles.