An elite army and a 'military revolution'

Kim Jong Un used a two-day meeting of company commanders in Pyongyang, held on Thursday and Friday, 22-23 October, to order the army to train until it becomes the most powerful force in the world. According to the state news agency KCNA, Kim described the drive as a 'military revolution'. The gathering was the first assembly of the whole army since the ninth Party Congress in February, and it drew thousands of soldiers to a large auditorium where Kim was the central figure. He told the commanders that every company should be turned into a solid elite unit, militarily and technically, and built into what he called perfect fighting forces. Kim also argued that the army's strength could multiply sharply if its units were ideologically purified, reached elite standards and kept flawless discipline. Defence Minister Kim Song Gi praised the army's role over the past seven years and acknowledged problems that need to be overcome, without naming them.

Friction with Seoul over the DMZ

The meeting came after South Korea proposed military talks on where the demarcation line runs through the centre of the Demilitarized Zone, following several serious incidents. Kim rejected that proposal. The tension dates to 21 September, when two mines exploded in the DMZ and wounded three South Korean soldiers. Seoul says North Korean anti-personnel mines were involved and blames the regime, while Pyongyang rejected the accusations and claimed the South Korean authorities had falsified the facts. Kim Yo Jong, the leader's influential sister, said the North would reinstall propaganda loudspeakers aimed at the South at the border within a few days. The zone follows the front line at the end of the Korean War (1950-1953), as defined by a map attached to the 1953 armistice agreement, and every attempt to sign a peace treaty has failed since then.

Weapons tests and the nuclear question

North Korea has also tested a new type of precision torpedo and a medium-range hypersonic missile, both of which use artificial intelligence. Despite UN sanctions, Pyongyang has written its status as a nuclear-armed state into law, and its regime has repeatedly declared the atomic arsenal permanent and irreversible. At the February congress, Kim had called for stronger conventional forces and reaffirmed plans to expand the nuclear arsenal and missile programme. The key dates in this sequence run from the February congress to the 24 October announcement.

Russia ties and what comes next

North Korea has been a key ally of Russia since Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. Pyongyang has sent soldiers, shells and missiles to support the Kremlin's war effort, in exchange for economic benefits and military technology. Kim Yo Jong's loudspeaker plan could take effect within days, while South Korea's proposal for military talks remains rejected by the North.