SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reiterated his focus on strengthening his naval
forces as he inspected the construction of new warships at a western shipyard, calling such projects crucial to the country's war preparations, state media said Friday.
His visit to the shipyard in Nampho followed a series of weapons demonstrations in January that furthered increased tensions with rivals, including tests of new cruise missiles designed to be launched from submarines.
Kim in recent months has been emphasizing his goals of building a nuclear-armed navy to counter what he portrays as growing external threats posed by the United States, South Korea and Japan, which have stepped up their military cooperation to cope with Kim's nuclear weapons and missile program.
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency did not specify when Kim visited Nampho. It paraphrased Kim as saying that the strengthening of his naval force "presents itself as the most important issue in reliably defending the maritime sovereignty of the country and stepping up the war preparations."
KCNA did not specify the types of warships being built in Nampho, but said they were related to a five-year military development plan set during a ruling party congress in early 2021. Kim during those meetings revealed an extensive wish list of advanced military assets, which included nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear missiles that can be launched from underwater.
During the inspection at Nampho, Kim was briefed on the progress of his naval projects and remaining technological challenges and ordered workers to "unconditionally" complete the efforts within the timeframe of the plan that runs through 2025, KCNA said.
Kim Inae, spokesperson of South Korea's Unification Ministry, said it was likely the first time state media reported the North Korean leader giving a military-related inspection in Nampho, as the country's eastern shipyard of Sinpo had been its main hub building advanced naval vessels like submarines. She didn't provide a specific answer when asked whether Seoul believes the North was using Nampho for its nascent efforts to build nuclear-powered submarines...
Article from: CTV News, Canada.
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