Escalation: Kim Nuclear Arsenal Plans Amid Talks

Kim closed the Ninth Workers’ Party Congress by ordering a larger, more capable nuclear force. He set out work on more powerful intercontinental missiles, submarine‑launch capability, and a broader arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, alongside drones and AI‑enabled systems.

He tied any improvement with Washington to a U.S. policy shift. “There is no reason we cannot get on well with the U.S.” if hostile policy is withdrawn, he said, offering “peaceful coexistence or permanent confrontation” and saying the outlook “depends entirely on the U.S. attitude.” He at the same time labeled South Korea the most hostile party and dismissed engagement with Seoul.

A nighttime parade followed in Pyongyang with about 14,000 troops and aircraft flyovers. Heavy strategic hardware such as intercontinental missiles and tanks did not appear. Kim watched from a reviewing stand with his teenage daughter, Ju Ae.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources