North Korean state media reported this week that the “entire” country is “accelerating” preparations for the upcoming Party Congress, as local party chapters hold meetings in advance of the event and workers rush to finish various factories and infrastructure projects.

Leader Kim Jong Un balanced military and civilian agendas this week, inspecting new statues memorializing troops who fought Ukraine, overseeing a short-range missile launch and kicking off the third-year of his local development initiative.

North Korean state media did not respond to the release of the new U.S. National Defence Strategy, which warned of