North Korea said on Friday it would deploy new long-range artillery systems this year that were capable of striking South Korea’s capital region and would commission its first naval destroyer in coming weeks.
The announcement comes days after South Korea said the North’s newly revised constitution drops all references to Korean unification, in line with leader Kim Jong-un’s vows to terminate ties with South Korea and establish a two-state system on the Korean peninsula.
Kim visited a munitions factory on Wednesday to inspect the production of 155-mm self-propelled gun-howitzers to be deployed at an artillery unit in the southern border area within this year, the North’s official Korean Central News Agency reported.
KCNA cited Kim as saying the striking range of this large-calibre rifled gun was over 60km (40 miles). He said that “such a rapid extension of striking range and remarkable improvement of striking capability will provide a great change and advantage in the land operations of our army”, according to KCNA.
Kim said various operational and tactical missile systems and powerful multiple rocket launcher systems were also scheduled to be deployed along the border.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (rear centre) and his daughter have meal with sailors on the destroyer Choe Hyon on Thursday. Photo: KCNA/AP
North Korea’s artillery systems draw less outside attention than its ballistic missiles whose launches are banned under UN Security Council resolutions. But the country already deploys many artillery guns near the border with South Korea, posing a serious threat to Seoul, the South Korean capital that has 10 million people and is about 40km to 50km from the border.
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