North Korea’s new Congress plans to reset its weapons targets by 2021 as the gap appears

By Kyu-seok Shim

SEOUL, Feb 16 (Reuters) – As North Korea prepares to unveil new weapons development goals at its ninth party congress this month, Pyongyang has only checked off a fraction of a comprehensive list of capabilities that leader Kim Jong Un is targeting at his 2021 congress.

While nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles remain central to Kim’s strategy, analysts say a more mixed record lies in conventional systems that could sharpen North Korea’s ability to detect targets, coordinate forces and apply pressure below the nuclear threshold — including drones, submarines and space-based surveillance.

In his report to the Eighth Party Congress, Kim called for the development of various systems, including hypersonic weapons, solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missiles, and military reconnaissance satellites and drones, according to state media.

The full report also notes that the design of a new nuclear-powered submarine is in its “final testing” phase, and says work has been completed on an “unmanned striking device”, “reconnaissance and detection instrument” and “military reconnaissance satellite”, among other electronic weapons.

drone

Since 2021, state media have repeatedly shown Kim overseeing the testing of reconnaissance drones, urging him to prioritize unmanned systems and artificial intelligence for modern warfare.

An analysis by US think tank 38 North in September said North Korea is expanding its drone program and production capacity.

The Institute for National Security Strategy, a think-tank run by South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, also said in a September report that Ukrainian officials claimed Russia had installed production capabilities in North Korea for Russian drones.

“If true, North Korean-Russian drone cooperation goes beyond simple technology exchange and carries significant strategic implications for the security environment on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia,” the report said, citing the “serious threat” it poses to South Korea’s security apparatus.

Artillery

Kim highlighted conventional strike capability as a key pillar, including “super-large” multiple rocket launcher drills and orders issued in late 2025 to ramp up production of rocket launchers, which state media KCNA called the mainstay of modern long-range artillery.

South Korea’s military also said North Korea had supplied Russia with conventional systems such as 240mm rocket launchers and 170mm self-propelled howitzers, pointing to stockpiles and industrial capabilities even under sanctions.

Regarding its conventional weapons, “the biggest achievement for Pyongyang was arms exports stemming from the Ukraine war,” said Yang Wook, a military expert at South Korea’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

North Korea’s massive arms exports removed its “dead stock” from wartime stockpiles and it is now “modernizing step by step by freeing up resources,” Yang said.

Submarines

In 2023, North Korea unveiled what it called a “strategic nuclear attack submarine” that analysts said looked like a modified Romeo-class submarine, but South Korean officials questioned whether it was fully functional.

In late December 2025, state media published photos of Kim overseeing the construction of an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine capable of launching surface-to-air missiles.

Analysts say the submarine’s push signal is intended, but that propulsion, sensors, weapons integration and crew proficiency are major hurdles for the heavily sanctioned state.

“With the submarine, they seem to have failed,” Yang argued, noting that after unveiling the new vessel in 2023, North Korea “has yet to properly test it, which shows significant problems in submersion.”

Claims of Russian support for submarine development are difficult to prove, Yang said, adding that the obstacle is integrating the nuclear reactor into a practical design.

Satellites

One of North Korea’s most consequential weapons targets from 2021 could be military espionage from space.

The country succeeded in putting its first military spy satellite into orbit in November 2023, although observers, including the US-based Heritage Foundation, said its capabilities were largely unknown.

An attempt to launch another reconnaissance satellite in May 2024 failed when the rocket exploded in flight.

Kim pledged in a speech that the program would continue, but Pyongyang has yet to announce any new launches.

“Essentially it shows (North Korea) has not met its 2021 goals, although now Russia is probably on hand in the effort,” said Doo Jin-ho, head of the Eurasia Research Center at the Korea Research Institute for National Strategy.

He said Pyongyang may hold off on another attempt to launch a reconnaissance satellite until it can ensure reliability because “if it fails again, it’s not just North Korea, it’s Russia.”

Russia has rejected military transfers to North Korea that would violate UN arms embargoes.

(Reporting by Kyu-seok ShimEditing by Ed Davis and Michael Perry)