North Korea is in the "final stages" of developing tactical weapons.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a new nuclear materials production facility and announced plans to increase the country's nuclear capabilities "exponentially" with a guarantee of their implementation, reports the Korean Central Telegraph Agency (KCNA).
Kim Jong Un was accompanied by representatives of the defense industry of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the nuclear weapons research institute.
At the factory, he familiarized himself with the production processes, performance indicators, and development plans. The North Korean leader stated the need for further increases in nuclear materials production and the expansion of the country's nuclear potential, noting that the corresponding program includes ramping up production and increasing the arsenal.
"We clarified the sequence of implementing the further grand plan to strengthen the state's nuclear armed forces exponentially and guarantee its implementation," said Kim Jong Un.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), as of January 2025, North Korea had approximately 50 nuclear warheads and has enough fissile material to produce up to 40 more. It is also noted that the production of new nuclear material is accelerating.
In July 2024, South Korean authorities stated that North Korea was in the "final stages" of developing tactical nuclear weapons. In November 2024, Kim Jong Un called for the "unlimited" expansion of the country's nuclear program. In April 2026, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated that North Korea had achieved "very significant" progress in its nuclear program, particularly due to the construction of a uranium enrichment facility.
In February 2025, North Korean military conducted a test launch of strategic cruise missiles aimed at warning "enemies who seriously disrupt the security situation and contribute to escalation," as well as demonstrating "the readiness of various nuclear means for use." Following the launch, Kim Jong Un urged the troops to be fully prepared for the use of nuclear weapons.
At the end of 2025, he stated the need to increase the production of missiles and ammunition in the next five years, KCNA reports.
