North Korea is explicitly tying industrial scale to military doctrine. 

State media said General Secretary Kim Jong Un conducted on-site inspections of major munitions enterprises during the fourth quarter of 2025, reviewing missile and artillery shell production. 

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim framed output capacity not as a technical issue but as a strategic pillar, calling the sector “of paramount importance in bolstering up the war deterrent.” 

The inspections, with no dates or locations disclosed, follow a pattern in which sensitive facilities are acknowledged only after the fact.

Kim directed officials to expand overall production capacity to meet what he described as the “prospective demands” of the Korean People’s Army’s missile and artillery forces. 

The language suggests planning against future force requirements rather than immediate replenishment. 

KCNA said the emphasis covered both missiles and conventional artillery shells, reinforcing Pyongyang’s continued investment across multiple strike layers rather than a single flagship system.

The scale implied by the inspection was underscored by imagery referenced in the source material, which showed roughly 100 Hwasong-11 missiles stored in a single facility. 

Kim explicitly called for the establishment of new munitions industry enterprises, effectively ordering the construction of additional factories. 

This marks a shift from incremental upgrades toward structural expansion of the defense-industrial base, aligning with earlier appearances where Kim inspected submarine construction and surface-to-air missile testing.

On the same day as the inspection disclosure, Kim ratified a draft document on the modernization of major military-industrial enterprises. 

KCNA said the document will be presented at the 9th Party Congress and an upcoming plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee. 

Both are expected in early 2026 and will outline the next five-year development strategy, giving the industrial push a formal political mandate.

Kim was accompanied by senior officials responsible for weapons production, including Party Secretary Jo Chun-ryong and First Vice Department Director Kim Jong-sik, who oversees the munitions industry portfolio. 

Their presence signals continuity in leadership of the sector and suggests that the inspection was as much about enforcing discipline as signaling priorities. 

KCNA’s account emphasized supervision, review of production status, and directives, rather than experimentation or testing.