Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected shell manufacturing at munitions factories, lauding that a rapid increase of shell production has helped the North Korean military’s combat power, the North’s state media reported Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, during his field guidance at major munitions enterprises under the Second Economy Commission, Kim inspected shell production and the state of the machine-building industry, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported. Kim expressed “great satisfaction,” saying the facilities’ modernization had reached a high level and that the shell production capacity had grown rapidly, the KCNA noted, adding that their shell output had increased four times the average annual level and nearly twice the peak-year level.
The KCNA quoted Kim as expressing hope that “they would produce more shells to contribute to the expansion of the combat power of our armed forces,” adding that bolstering the artillery force enhances the army’s combat efficiency and perfects its combat preparations. “This remarkable growth of productivity … takes on a very important meaning in realizing the (governing) party’s strategy for the development of national defense,” Kim also said.
The KCNA said Kim also inspected a machine factory, where he discussed its modernization goal and the long-term development of the country’s machine-building industry. He underlined the need to turn the factory into a model that plays a pivotal role in developing the machine-building industry, saying this task serves as “a decisive guarantee” for advancing the country’s defense industry to a world-class level.
The leader also urged the factory to focus on developing and producing “more intelligent, high-speed, precision and multifunctional machine-building equipment” to enhance the production and technical power of the munitions industry, as well as other sectors of the national economy. Kim’s call for increased shell output comes as North Korea is reported to have transferred millions of shells and other military equipment to Russia to support its war against Ukraine. His emphasis on shell production could suggest a determination to continue supplying weapons to Russia in exchange for economic rewards and much-needed military technology.