Kim Jong-un, the Chairman of North Korea’s State Affairs Commission, announced during the 9th Party Congress that the country plans to produce more nuclear weapons and develop strategic weapons such as underwater-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to maintain its overwhelming defense capabilities.
In the ‘business summary report’ presented at the 9th Party Congress on the 20th and 21st, Kim stated that “the nation’s nuclear force is the basic guarantee and a strong safety device that reliably ensures the safety, interests, and right to development of the country,” according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 26th.
Kim emphasized that “we have a prospective plan to strengthen the nation’s nuclear force annually, and we will devote ourselves to increasing the number of nuclear weapons and expanding the means of operation and areas of utilization.”
He also highlighted the importance of “rapidly and continuously renewing naval operational capabilities, focusing on the nuclear armament of naval surface and underwater forces,” implying efforts towards strengthening naval power, including the development of nuclear-powered submarines.
As for the tasks in the upcoming five-year plan period, Kim revealed that they include “comprehensive systems of strengthened land- and underwater-launched ICBMs, various AI unmanned attack systems, special assets to attack enemy satellites during emergencies, highly powerful electronic warfare systems to paralyze the enemy’s command center, and more advanced reconnaissance satellites.”
Moreover, he identified the 600mm rocket launcher, new 240mm rocket launcher, and tactical missile systems as key strike means intended for attacks on the South, and emphasized the plan to enhance the density and continuity of focused attacks through annual augmented deployments, thereby strengthening the core sector of war deterrence.
He claimed that “once the new national defense development plan is implemented in five years, our national defense capabilities will be significantly enhanced to a level that enemies cannot cope with.”
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