North Korea Vows to Strengthen Nuclear Force and Expand Intelligence Role

North Korean state media reported on July 10, 2026, that Pyongyang will strengthen its nuclear force in quality and quantity while expanding the role of its intelligence agency. The announcement followed a July 9 meeting of the Workers' Party's Central Military Commission. Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un told the meeting that only a strong military could guarantee true peace.

The commission set tasks to expand the functions of the General Reconnaissance and Intelligence Bureau and to enhance its military reconnaissance and intelligence capabilities. The same meeting laid out plans to accelerate construction of modern naval bases, upgrade shipyard capacity, renew technical infrastructure of combat systems, and standardize, specialize, and modernize military bases.

Congressional Research Service has stated Pyongyang has developed its nuclear program over the last decade. The country has conducted six confirmed nuclear weapons tests since 2006. The moves come after a North Korean soldier was taken into custody in South Korea in June 2026 after crossing the demilitarized zone.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the military had secured custody of the soldier in the central front and that authorities were investigating. The heavily fortified zone features barbed wire, land mines, and extensive surveillance. South Korea's Ministry of Unification records show more than 34,000 North Koreans, including 899 military personnel, have defected to the South since 1998.