North Korea continues to expand its missile and artillery production capabilities.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on December 26 that leader Kim Jong Un announced plans to build new weapons factories to expand missile and artillery manufacturing capabilities, while emphasizing the need to increase production.
Speaking during a visit to major North Korean arms manufacturing facilities to learn about missile and artillery production processes in the fourth quarter of 2025, leader Kim Jong Un emphasized that "the country's missile and artillery manufacturing sector plays a leading role in enhancing its war deterrence capabilities."
KCNA quoted Kim Jong Un as highlighting the need to develop a production plan for 2026 that would meet the future mission requirements of North Korea's missile and artillery forces.
In addition, leader Kim Jong Un also instructed relevant North Korean agencies to continuously improve the modernization of the arms manufacturing industry by establishing new arms manufacturing enterprises as planned and constantly updating the production structure of existing factories in a more efficient and practical way.
According to KCNA, leader Kim Jong Un has approved a draft strategy for modernizing major arms manufacturing enterprises, which will be submitted to the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, scheduled for early 2026.
Earlier, on December 24, the North Korean leader directed the construction of an 8,700-ton submarine equipped with strategic guided missiles and powered by nuclear energy.
