Overview

• State media said the Defence Development-2025 exhibition opened in Pyongyang with displays of long-range ICBMs, cruise missiles, drones and armored vehicles.
• Kim Jong Un described the nuclear deterrent as the backbone of military modernization and criticized recent U.S.–South Korea exercises.
• He said North Korea has assigned unspecified “special assets” to major targets and questioned whether South Korean territory would be safe.
• Kim vowed to adopt additional military and technical measures if the U.S. further reinforces its regional presence.
• South Korea’s presidential office called for dialogue, and analysts say the Oct. 10 parade could feature new systems, potentially including the Hwasong-20 ICBM.