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North Korea prepares to unveil defense modernization plans at party congress

Published: 13 Sep. 2025, 09:38

The North's leader Kim Jong-un inspects the armored defensive weapons institute and the electronic weapons institute under the Academy of Defence Sciences in September. [YONHAP]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said Pyongyang will unveil a plan to put forward a policy simultaneously pursuing nuclear forces and conventional weapons at the North's upcoming party congress, state media reported Saturday.

Kim made the remarks during his inspection of the armored defensive weapons institute and the electronic weapons institute under the Academy of Defense Sciences on Thursday and Friday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

The North's leader stressed the need to continue to "modernize" the conventional armed forces to build a powerful army as he oversaw the development of new armored vehicles and electronic weapons.

Kim said "the ninth Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) would put forward the policy of simultaneously pushing forward the building of nuclear forces and conventional armed forces in the field of building up national defense," the KCNA said.

North Korea earlier said it approved a plan to convene the ninth party congress at the WPK's plenary meeting in June, without disclosing other details.

North Korea's last party congress, a key party event held every five years, took place in January 2021, where the regime unveiled a list of sophisticated weapons Kim had vowed to develop, including military spy satellites and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Kim's latest remarks indicate that North Korea will further spur the development of conventional weapons, together with its nuclear and missile programs, given that South Korea has a relatively upper hand in terms of conventional military firepower.

During the inspection, Kim learned in detail about research in the field of armored defense, including the development of special composite armor and an intelligent active protection system, the KCNA said.

He also inspected a comprehensive operation test of a new type of "active protection system against the frontal, lateral and upper attack by live firing of anti-tank missiles of various kinds," it noted.

In May, the North's leader visited a tank factory, stressing that replacing existing armored weapons with advanced tanks and armored vehicles is "the most important issue in the building of armed forces and modernization of the army."

Meanwhile, Kim oversaw a shooting contest Friday between troops of the sniper subunits belonging to the metropolitan garrison command and the special mobile force of the central security organ, the KCNA said in a separate dispatch.

"Referring to the impact of expanding the sphere of snipers' activities on the overall military activities of our army, Kim repeatedly stressed the need to systematically train the special sniper force and intensify their activities," the report said.

Since North Korea has around 15,000 troops to support Russia's war with Ukraine, the North's leader has highlighted the need to modernize conventional weapons and strengthen field training as well as combat capabilities.

Yonhap