North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised the country’s military modernization and highlighted overseas troop deployments as key achievements at a Workers' Party plenary meeting. State media said those operations produced “signal military gains,” while South Korean intelligence and analysts report significant material and personnel support to Russia. Experts say Moscow may be transferring advanced military and space-related technologies to Pyongyang. U.S. Forces Korea warned the collaboration is real and poses growing risks as the party prepares for a major congress in early 2026.
Kim Jong Un Hails Military Modernization, Flags Overseas Troop Deployments Ahead Of Key Party Congress
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised his country's military modernization efforts at a key ruling party meeting, state-run media reported Friday. In this photo, Kim is seen speaking Tuesday during the second day of the plenary meeting of the Workers' Party Central Committee. Photo by KCNA/EPA
SEOUL — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised his country’s military modernization as the appropriate response to evolving security challenges at a major Workers' Party meeting, state media reported Friday.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim told delegates that the government’s push to strengthen defense capabilities was the “exact” course to safeguard the state amid shifting geopolitical conditions. The remarks were delivered as a three-day enlarged plenary meeting of the Workers’ Party Central Committee concluded Thursday.
The session reviewed implementation of the past year’s policies and helped lay groundwork for the ruling party’s upcoming congress, expected in early 2026.
Kim also emphasized the dispatch of North Korean forces overseas as a notable element of Pyongyang’s defense strategy. KCNA quoted him as saying that recent overseas operations produced “signal military gains” that demonstrated the prestige of the Korean People’s Army and the state.
"The signal military gains made by ... the Korean People's Army in the overseas military operations over the past nearly one year demonstrated to the world the prestige of our army and state," the state news agency reported.
Seoul’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) and outside analysts have assessed that North Korea has provided substantial material and personnel support to Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, including shipments of munitions and the deployment of personnel to the Kursk region. South Korean officials have cited figures of thousands of shipping containers of munitions and roughly 15,000 deployed troops, though independent verification of precise numbers is limited.
Analysts say Moscow appears to be exchanging assistance in return, with technology transfers reportedly covering areas such as space launch vehicles, reconnaissance satellites and air defense systems. These assessments are based on intelligence reporting and open-source analysis and have not been independently confirmed by Russian or North Korean authorities.
On Friday, the commander of U.S. Forces Korea warned about the growing risks posed by closer Russian–DPRK military cooperation.
"Russian–DPRK collaboration is real — it is not a quid pro quo relationship," Gen. Xavier Brunson said during a webinar. "There are things we know are happening right now that give me pause as I look at what might face us down the road, whether that be training, or techniques and procedures they're learning from the front."
The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is the official name used by Pyongyang.
Party planners are turning their attention to the Ninth Congress, expected in early 2026, which analysts say is likely to outline a new five-year economic plan and reset military and foreign policy priorities. Observers warn the congress may further entrench a hard-line posture toward Seoul: in 2024 North Korea formally designated South Korea a "hostile state," and Kim publicly rejected the long-standing official goal of reunification.
