North Korea's Kim Jong Un is set to outline plans to bolster his nuclear arsenal at an upcoming governing party meeting, according to state media. The nine-member Communist Party Congress, scheduled for later this year, will unveil a five-year development plan for defense and the economy, which is expected to focus on expanding and modernizing the country's missile production.
The latest in a series of missile tests that have raised regional concerns will be showcased at the congress, where Kim has warned that the plans will bring "excruciating mental agony" to his enemies. The missiles tested Tuesday hit a target 358.5km away in waters near Japan.
Details of the development plan are expected to reveal how North Korea aims to enhance its nuclear capabilities, including any new technologies or systems that could help evade global positioning system (GPS) jamming. Analysts believe that Kim's mention of a "self-steered precision guided flight system" may indicate a new navigation system being employed by the military.
The report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday comes after Kim oversaw another missile test, which was hailed as a success by the North Korean leader.
The latest in a series of missile tests that have raised regional concerns will be showcased at the congress, where Kim has warned that the plans will bring "excruciating mental agony" to his enemies. The missiles tested Tuesday hit a target 358.5km away in waters near Japan.
Details of the development plan are expected to reveal how North Korea aims to enhance its nuclear capabilities, including any new technologies or systems that could help evade global positioning system (GPS) jamming. Analysts believe that Kim's mention of a "self-steered precision guided flight system" may indicate a new navigation system being employed by the military.
The report from the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday comes after Kim oversaw another missile test, which was hailed as a success by the North Korean leader.
. Can't just go around testing missiles and expecting everyone to chill 
. Japan's gotta be on high alert, and us too, tbh 
. Kim thinks he's some kinda genius with his "excruciating mental agony" BS, but really he's just putting the whole world at risk 
. Don't know what kinda tech he's cooking up in that lab, but if it's gonna help him dodge GPS jams, that's not a good thing 
...
And now they're talking about modernizing their missile production and developing new tech to evade GPS jamming... that sounds super scary and unpredictable. 
Have we really learned nothing from past conflicts and nuclear threats? I'm all for strengthening defenses and being prepared, but come on, can't there be a more peaceful way to resolve differences? 
It's just not worth risking lives and global stability like this. 
We need world leaders to work together and find a solution, not just talk about their own aggression... 
they're getting more & more aggressive rn! like, 358.5km away from japan is NO JOKE 
i'm low-key worried about this whole thing, but high-key entertained by how dramatic kim is being 
"excruciating mental agony" for his enemies? 
sounds like he's got a new reality tv show in the works 
... like, can't they just chill for one sec? 
How will they address issues like food security and healthcare?
Guess that's the beauty of good organization, right? 
. What's the point of expandin' their arsenal if they're just gonna use 'em for show? It's like, what's the end game here? 
. the world is already dealing with so many problems – climate change, poverty, inequality... can't we all just focus on solving those issues instead of worrying about nukes? 
... I mean, I get that countries need to defend themselves, but all these tests and talk of nuclear escalation are super unsettling. Like, what's the point if we're just gonna end up in another global crisis? 
Not sure about this... (link: