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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has announced plans to increase the country’s number of nuclear weapons.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: It’s hard to gauge how many nuclear weapons North Korea possesses, but analysts generally believe it has between 30 and 60 nuclear warheads, with enough fissile material to build more. The country’s nuclear deterrent is primarily land-based. North Korea is also believed to possess hypersonic glide vehicles and strategic cruise missiles, which are harder to detect and intercept, strengthening its ability to penetrate missile defenses.

What’s going on now: In a notable development, Kim has said North Korea will soon unveil “next-stage plans for further bolstering up the country’s nuclear war deterrent.” Those plans are expected to be formally announced at an upcoming Workers’ Party congress, the first such meeting since 2021, where the regime traditionally sets its political, military, and economic direction for the next five years. Kim has described strengthening military power as an “invariable line,” making clear that nuclear weapons remain central to the state’s long-term strategy.

Kim also said the weapons buildup would bring “excruciating mental agony and serious threat to the forces that attempt to provoke a military confrontation with us.”

The announcement comes on the heels of recent missile tests personally overseen by Kim, including the launch of an upgraded large-caliber multiple rocket launcher system. Kim said the test was of “great significance in improving the effectiveness of our strategic deterrent” and claimed that the system is now capable of being used for “specific attacks.”