North Korean leader Kim Jong-un conducted a three-day inspection of the main North Korean arms factoriesincluding those that produce large-caliber multiple rocket launchers and cruise missile engines, state media reported on Sunday.
The three-day inspection concluded on Saturday, when Kim reportedly visited the factories in order to “learn about the implementation of the central objective of North Korea’s policy on ammunition industry“, according to the state agency KCNA today. In the images shared by KCNA, Kim can be seen dressed in white clothes and supervising the work of the factories along with other members of his party, where he would have emphasized the importance of carrying out cape”war preparations to modernize the small arms that will be carried by front-line units”.
Kim also called for “continuously increasing the performance and reliability of missile engines” and “rapidly expanding its production capacity,” according to KCNA. The North Korean leader’s visit comes a week after he took part in a large military parade for the 70th anniversary of the armistice of the Korean warwhere they exhibited intercontinental ballistic missiles and drones.
On that occasion, North Korea displayed the fruits of its weapons modernization program, including its intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) with a longer range, the Hwasong-17 and the even more sophisticated Hwasong-18, which uses solid fuel and was tested for the second time on July 12 from the vicinity of Pyongyang. It also showed other of its newest assets, up to now not included before in their increasingly common military parades in the capital, such as the new drones and newly developed drones.
The tension between South Korea, its neighbor to the North and the United States is at one of its highest points since the failed denuclearization negotiations with the North Korean regime, which since last year has intensified its missile tests in line with the review of its defense strategy.