N. Korea Decides to Expand Nuclear Forces
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- Kim Jong Un decided on measures to strengthen North Korea's nuclear forces "quantitatively and qualitatively" during an enlarged meeting of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Military Commission on Thursday, according to state media KCNA.
- Kim said North Korea's security and "true peace" could only be guaranteed by building a powerful military capable of controlling all threats, per KCNA.
- The meeting set plans to renew technical infrastructure of combat systems, expand and strengthen nuclear forces, and standardise, specialise and modernise military bases.
- The meeting discussed expanding the role of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea's military intelligence agency, to improve its reconnaissance and intelligence-gathering capabilities.
- The meeting addressed construction of modern naval bases and upgrades to shipyard capacity, reflecting what KCNA called a major change in the status and role of the navy.
Why it matters: North Korea is simultaneously formalizing expansion plans across nuclear forces, military intelligence, and naval infrastructure in a single meeting — a multi-branch buildup that broadens the scope of what the U.S. and its allies must monitor and deter, not just the nuclear program alone.
