North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits major munitions enterprises. (Photo: KCNA via REUTERS)

Kim said "the country's missile and shell production sector is of paramount importance in bolstering war deterrent," according to KCNA.

Kim ratified draft documents for the modernization of major munitions enterprises to be submitted to a key party congress expected to be held in early 2026, KCNA said, which will set a development plan for North Korea for the next five years.

The KCNA report follows Thursday's reveal of Kim overseeing the construction of an 8,700-ton nuclear-powered submarine and the test-firing of long-range surface-to-air missiles.