Kim Jong-un orders new munitions factories and higher missile and shell output, signalling a renewed push to modernise North Korea’s defence industry ahead of a key party congress.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for a major expansion of missile and artillery shell production, unveiling plans to build new munitions factories as part of a broader push to strengthen what he describes as the country’s war deterrent.
State media reported that Kim issued the directive while visiting key munitions industry enterprises to review missile and shell production during the fourth quarter of the year. Although the Korean Central News Agency did not specify when or where the inspections took place, it said the leader used the visits to stress the strategic importance of expanding capacity and modernising the defence industry.
The announcement follows closely on the heels of reports that Kim recently inspected an 8,700-tonne nuclear-powered “strategic guided missile submarine” currently under construction, underscoring Pyongyang’s parallel focus on both conventional and strategic weapons systems.
According to state media, Kim said decisions on constructing new munitions factories would be finalised at the upcoming Workers’ Party congress, expected early next year. He emphasised that meeting the future demands of the missile and artillery forces of the Korean People’s Army would require continuous upgrades to industrial capability and the establishment of new production facilities.
KCNA quoted Kim as saying that it was necessary to steadily raise the level of modernisation of the munitions industry to satisfy the anticipated needs of the country’s armed forces. He was reported to have singled out missile and shell production as being of paramount importance in reinforcing North Korea’s war deterrent, a phrase he has repeatedly used to justify expanded weapons development.
Kim was accompanied on the inspection by senior officials overseeing the defence sector, including party secretary Jo Chun-ryong and Kim Jong-sik, the first vice director responsible for the munitions industry at the Workers’ Party of Korea. Their presence highlighted the political priority attached to defence production ahead of the party congress, which is expected to set the policy direction for the coming years.
Analysts in Seoul said the timing of the inspections suggested the leadership was seeking to showcase achievements in the defence sector before the congress. Kim has made similar visits to arms factories in recent months, often using them to call for higher output, improved technology and faster modernisation of conventional weapons.
The renewed emphasis on shells and missiles has also fuelled speculation abroad about North Korea’s role as a potential supplier of weapons to Russia. Pyongyang has been accused by Western governments of providing ammunition and other military support to Moscow, allegations both countries have denied. The speculation has intensified since reports emerged that North Korea had sent around 15,000 troops to assist Russia in its war against Ukraine.
In that context, Kim has increasingly highlighted the need to strengthen combat capabilities and upgrade conventional arms alongside the country’s nuclear programme. State media coverage has consistently framed these efforts as defensive, portraying them as necessary responses to what Pyongyang describes as external threats.
South Korea’s unification ministry said Kim’s latest round of military-related inspections appeared designed to promote internal unity and defend the leadership’s drive to expand nuclear and defence capabilities. Officials in Seoul assessed that the publicised factory visits were aimed at reinforcing domestic support for sustained investment in weapons production at a time of heightened regional and global tensions.
