North Korea’s “Self-Defense-2021” expo opened on Oct. 12, with leader Kim Jong Un attending and delivering wide-ranging remarks on national defense policy, among other issues. The exhibition was a full-scale celebration of the accomplishments of North Korea’s defense-industrial sector over the last five years. 

The DPRK used the event to display the full gamut of its indigenous weapons capabilities, from nuclear ballistic missiles to small arms to tanks. The expo also provided the first extended looks at the cruise and hypersonic missiles North Korea tested in September. 

Indeed, Kim explicitly called for three out