North Korea's Kim Jong Un signals continued missile development in next 5 years

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signaled the country will continue to develop missiles in the next five years, as he visited major munitions enterprises in the last quarter of 2025, state media KCNA said on Friday.

Kim said “the country’s missile and shell production sector is of paramount importance in bolstering war deterrent,” according to KCNA.

Kim ratified draft documents for the modernization of major munitions enterprises to be submitted to a key party congress expected to be held in early 2026, KCNA said, which will set a development plan for North Korea for the next five years.

The KCNA report follows Thursday’s reveal of Kim overseeing the construction of an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine with his daughter, a potential heir, and the test-firing of long-range surface-to-air missiles.

In October, North Korea fired what appeared to be multiple short-range ballistic missiles, South Korea’s military said.

It was the first launch of ballistic missiles since May by Pyongyang, which has defied a United Nations Security Council ban on the weapons.

It was also the first such launch since Lee Jae Myung was elected president in South Korea, with a platform of engagement with North Korea.

Lee and U.S. President Donald Trump are expected to meet in South Korea next week at a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Trump is also expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.