North Korea’s Kim signals party congress will focus on ‘exceptional’ military build-up

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Park Chan-kyongFebruary 10, 2026 at 01:00 AM

AI Summary

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stated that the country's armed forces will play an even more significant role over the next five years. This statement has been interpreted as a signal that the upcoming Ninth Workers' Party Congress will outline a new defence build-up plan, including advancements in nuclear and missile capabilities. The party congress is expected to take place after February 16, marking the birthday of Kim's late father and former leader Kim Jong-il. Last month, Kim announced plans to unveil next-phase plans for strengthening the country's nuclear war deterrence capabilities at the congress. North Korea previously unveiled an ambitious list of advanced weapons systems for development in 2021, including military reconnaissance satellites and solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles. The party congress is scheduled to map out a new five-year plan to strengthen national defence.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Ninth Workers' Party Congress 60% Korean People's Army 70% Kim Jong-un ×280% North Korea ×290%

Keywords

military build-up 90% kim jong-un 80% north korea 80% party congress 70% missile capabilities 60% national defence 60% nuclear capabilities 60% weapons systems 50% five-year plan 50% nuclear war deterrence 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.20

Source Transparency

Source

South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

North Korea

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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military build-up kim jong-un north korea party congress missile capabilities national defence nuclear capabilities weapons systems five-year plan nuclear war deterrence

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