North Korea’s leader to unveil new policy expanding nuclear arsenal and military

Expert says move reflects Kim Jong Un’s view of limits of nuclear deterrent, and that Pyongyang seeks to improve ‘war-fighting capability’ by boosting conventional arsenal

By AFP 13 September 2025, 9:16 am

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the flag-raising ceremony and central oath-taking rally to commemorate the 77th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang, in a picture taken on September 9, 2025. (KCNA VIA KNS / AFP) /

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said Pyongyang will unveil a policy to advance both its nuclear arsenal and conventional military power at an upcoming key ruling party meeting, state media said Saturday.

Since a failed summit with the United States in 2019, North Korea has repeatedly said it will never give up its nuclear weapons and declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear state.

While visiting weapons research facilities this week, Kim said Pyongyang “would put forward the policy of simultaneously pushing forward the building of nuclear forces and conventional armed forces,” according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency.

Kim also emphasized the need to “modernize” the country’s conventional armed forces, without specifying the date of the party meeting.

The North Korean leader has been emboldened by the war in Ukraine, securing critical support from Russia after sending thousands of North Korean troops to fight alongside Moscow.

Moscow and Pyongyang signed a mutual defense pact last year when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the reclusive state.

This undated photo provided on September 13, 2024, by the North Korean government shows its leader Kim Jong Un, center, on an inspecting visit at what they say is an institute of nuclear weapons and a facility for nuclear materials at an undisclosed location in North Korea. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

Seoul has repeatedly warned that Russia is stepping up support for Pyongyang, including the potential transfer of sensitive Russian military technology, in return for North Korea’s assistance in fighting Ukraine.

“In essence, it reflects (Kim’s) view that nuclear forces alone have limits as a deterrent, and that Pyongyang is seeking to boost its war-fighting capability by modernizing its conventional arsenal,” Hong Min, a senior analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told AFP.

“North Korea’s military technology cooperation with Russia seems to be also expanding into the conventional arms sector, and modernization plans tailored to ‘modern warfare’ are likely to be laid out as a mid- to long-term agenda” at the upcoming meeting, he added.

At the last party congress in January 2021, Kim unveiled an ambitious military agenda, pledging to develop advanced weapons such as military spy satellites and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Analysts say they expect the upcoming meeting to be held early next year.

Kim and Putin flanked China’s President Xi Jinping at a massive parade in Beijing this month, drawing an acidic response from US President Donald Trump, who accused the three leaders of plotting against the United States.