North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for a “drastic intensification” of missile production, state news agency KCNA reported on Monday, as Seoul and Washington prepare for joint military maneuvers.
Kim visited factories producing missiles, ammunition for super-large caliber multiple rocket launchers and armored fighting vehicles on Friday and Saturday, KCNA reported.
The leader expressed his “satisfaction” when visiting a missile production center that managed to “perfect scientific and technological issues related to production” and modernized weapons.
“He set an important goal: to dramatically increase missile production capacity,” and stressed the factory’s role in “accelerating” preparations for war, according to KCNA.
Kim stressed “the need to boost shell production” and personally drove an armored fighting vehicle, the agency said.
Photos published by the Rodong Sinmun newspaper show Mr Kim beaming as he sits in the driver’s seat of a “new model of armored fighting vehicle”.
During these inspections, he also visited ammunition production plants for very large caliber multiple rocket launchers and transporter-erector-launchers (TEL).
North Korea’s military must have “overwhelming military strength” and be “ready to face any war at any time”, Kim said, saying it must “annihilate “the enemy in case of attack, KCNA reported.
These visits took place as South Korea and the United States prepare joint exercises, dubbed “Ulchi Freedom Shield”, which are to take place from August 21 to 31.
Pyongyang sees all of these exercises as rehearsals for an invasion and has repeatedly warned that it will take “crushing” measures to respond to them.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul described the maneuvers as “a difficult and realistic exercise aimed at strengthening the joint defense system and the response capabilities of the alliance”.
A summit between the leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan is to be held Friday in Washington, with the aim of strengthening their security cooperation in the face of an increasingly threatening North Korea.
14/08/2023 06:36:03 – Seoul (AFP) © 2023 AFP
