North Korean state media reported Tuesday that Kim Jong Un observed and guided work on “mounting nuclear warheads on ballistic missiles, marking his third such inspection and first in more than five years. The warheads shown during the latest visit appear to be small-diameter, compact warheads for tactical nuclear weapons.

Kim’s inspection should not be surprising, as it aligns with North Korean practice on seeking deterrence credibility for its nuclear capabilities. State media coverage, for instance, made clear that the visit dovetailed with a spate of missile tests that allegedly demonstrated a nuclear airburst capability of