North Korea is stepping up its missile and artillery production capabilities.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) recently reported on Chairman Kim Jong-un's inspection tour of key defense industry enterprises in the fourth quarter of 2025. The visit focused on evaluating the production processes of strategic weapons systems and artillery equipment.

Strategy for expanding weapons production capacity

During the inspection tour, the North Korean leader emphasized the importance of enhancing production capacity to meet the practical needs of the missile and artillery units of the Korean People's Army. Although the specific locations of the facilities were not disclosed, reports indicate that extensive modernization is being implemented across the entire system.

Kim Jong-un asserted that establishing new industrial enterprises is a prerequisite for maintaining war deterrence capabilities. According to plan, projects to build next-generation munitions factories will be discussed in detail at the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, scheduled for early 2026.

Improving the level of defense technology

The North Korean leader noted that the defense industry needs continuous innovation and the adoption of higher modernization standards. Increased production should focus not only on quantity but also on the quality of artillery shells and guided missiles, which play a crucial role in the national defense structure.

This activity took place shortly after the North Korean leader conducted a field inspection of a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine with a displacement of 8,700 tons. This is one of the largest military engineering projects the country is focusing on completing, demonstrating its ambition to diversify its combat capabilities from land to sea.

The focus on modernizing production lines shows that North Korea is prioritizing the optimization of its defense industrial infrastructure to ensure a stable and long-term supply of weapons in the new geopolitical landscape.