North Korea vows nuclear program unchanged before Xi
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- Kim Yo Jong said North Korea would not abandon its nuclear weapons programme before Xi Jinping's visit, dismissing claims that Xi and US President Donald Trump had agreed to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula.
- North Korea unveiled a new nuclear material production facility, which Kim Jong Un described as a basis for an "exponential" increase in the country's nuclear arsenal.
- Kim Jong Un ordered missile production capacity to be increased by 2.5 times over the next five years, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency citing the Rodong Sinmun newspaper.
- Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit North Korea on Monday for a summit with Kim Jong Un, his first visit to Pyongyang in nearly seven years.
Why it matters: North Korea's 2.5‑fold missile boost over five years strengthens its deterrent, while regional allies such as South Korea face heightened security risk and may need to allocate more defense spending.
