North Korea’s Kim orders more missiles to be made ahead of South Korea and US drills

SEOUL, Aug 14 (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for an increase in missile production to help ensure “overwhelming military power” and be prepared for war, state media KCNA said on Monday, while South Korea and the United States prepare for annual military exercises.

Kim gave the order while visiting key munitions factories that produce tactical missiles, missile launch platforms, armored vehicles and artillery shells on Friday and Saturday.

His field inspection was the latest in a series of visits to arms factorieswhere he ordered the mass production of weapons, arriving days before South Korea and the US begin annual military exercises, which Pyongyang sees as a rehearsal for war.

Kim pointed to a “major goal to dramatically increase” missile production capacity to meet the needs of expanded and strengthened front-line military units, KCNA said.

“The qualitative levels of war preparations depend on the development of the munitions industry, and the factory has a tremendous responsibility in accelerating the war preparations of our armed forces,” he said.

At other plants, Kim inspected and drove a new armored fighting utility vehicle and praised recent progress in modernizing production lines for large-caliber multiple rocket launcher rounds, KCNA said.

There was a “very urgent need” to “exponentially increase” the production of such rockets to strengthen front-line artillery units, he said.

“Our army must fully ensure overwhelming military power and solid readiness to handle any war at any time, lest the enemy dare not use force and be annihilated if it does,” Kim said.

South Korea and the United States said on Monday they will host the Ulchi Freedom Guardian summer exercises from August 21 to 31 to enhance their ability to respond to North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile threats.

North Korea has denounced the allied military exercises as a test for nuclear war.

This year’s drills will be conducted on the “largest scale in history,” mobilizing tens of thousands of troops from both sides, as well as some UN Command member states, for some 30 field training programs. , according to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff. (JCS).

“The exercises are an essential element in maintaining a strong combined defense posture in an emergency, which is absolutely necessary to respond to the growing military threat from North Korea,” Col. Lee Sung-jun, JCS spokesman, said at a session informative.

The United States accused North Korea of ​​providing Russia with weapons for its war in Ukraine, including artillery shells, shoulder-fired rockets and missiles.

North Korea and Russia They have denied any arms transactions.

The leaders of South Korea, the United States and Japan are also set to discuss security cooperation on North Korea, Ukraine and other issues when they meet for a trilateral summit on August 18 at Camp David.

KCNA said separately on Monday that Kim visited “typhoon-affected areas” after tropical storm khaun swept across the Korean Peninsula last week, inundating farmland.

Reporting by Joyce Lee and Hyonhee Shin Editing by Chris Reese and Gerry Doyle

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