North Korea Ready To Announce New Policies On Arms Development At Labor Party Congress

North Korean military. (Photo: kcnawatch.org)

JAKARTA - According to state media reports from KCNA, Saturday, September 13, North Korea (North Korea) will develop conventional weapons simultaneously with nuclear and missile programs.

Reporting from ANTARA, the policy will be announced by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at the upcoming Korean Labor Party (WPK) congress.

Earlier, while reviewing the Steel Lapis Defense Weapons Institute and the Institute of Electronic Weapons under the Academy of Defense Sciences on Thursday and Friday, Kim had stressed that North Korea should continue to modernize conventional weapons forces to build a strong military.

In the party's final congress in January 2021, North Korea announced a list of advanced weapons to be developed, including military spy satellites and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Kim's latest statement suggests that North Korea will accelerate the development of conventional weapons in addition to nuclear and missile programs to offset South Korea's relatively superior military force.

According to a KCNA report, during the visit to the two institutes, Kim received a detailed explanation of research in the armored defense sector, including the development of a special composite layer and a smart active protection system for armored vehicles.

He even witnessed tests of a new system of active protection against anti-tank missile attacks from various directions.

While visiting the tank factory in May, Kim stressed that replacing old armored weapons with modern tanks and armored vehicles is "the most important issue in building armed forces and modernizing the military."

In a separate report, KCNA said that on Friday, Kim also monitored a sniper squad shooting race. At that time, he emphasized the need to train sniper troops systematically and expand their role in military operations.

Since North Korea sent about 15,000 troops to assist Russia in the war in Ukraine, Kim has frequently highlighted the need for modernization of conventional weapons, strengthening field exercises, and increasing troop combat capabilities.