North Korea's Kim Jong Un vows to expand nuclear arsenal and build missile cruiser

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told a Workers’ Party Central Committee meeting that fully exercising the country’s status as a nuclear‑weapon state is the only way to cope with an unpredictable global security environment. He ordered a rapid expansion of the nuclear forces and the accelerated construction of a 10,000‑ton strategic guided‑missile cruiser, describing the nuclear arsenal as the “core of military sovereignty.”

Kim also pledged to increase defense assets to “overtake the world,” criticised the United States and South Korea’s joint nuclear posture, and announced a senior party reshuffle. The meeting highlighted coal as a strategic economic pillar, calling for a nationwide overhaul of the sector.