North Korea expands nuclear arsenal, modernizes military

North Korea has announced a significant expansion of its nuclear arsenal and a broad modernization of its military, including intelligence and naval forces, following a high-level meeting of the ruling party's Central Military Commission. The decisions, reported by state media on Friday, July 10, 2026, include plans to strengthen the country's nuclear forces "both in quality and quantity" and to accelerate the construction of modern naval bases.

The measures were approved during an enlarged session of the commission held on Thursday, July 9. According to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un told the meeting that North Korea's security and "true peace" could only be guaranteed by building a powerful military capable of deterring all threats. The commission outlined specific tasks to upgrade the technical infrastructure of combat systems and to standardize, specialize, and modernize military bases.

A key component of the announced strategy is a major expansion of the functions and missions of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, the country's primary military intelligence agency. KCNA stated the bureau plays a pivotal role in controlling...