North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said that Kim, during recent visits to unspecified munitions and machinery factories, praised modernization efforts that the agency claimed enabled the facilities to double their annual shell production capacity.
Kim urged workers to further accelerate artillery shell production, calling it crucial to “strengthening the fighting efficiency” of his armed forces, and also called for the development of more advanced machinery to boost munitions output.
KCNA did not mention any comments from Kim regarding his support for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Recent South Korean intelligence assessments suggest that North Korea has sent about 15,000 soldiers to Russia, and that nearly 5,000 of them have been killed or injured while fighting against Ukrainian forces.
After denying its war involvement for months, North Korea last month confirmed for the first time that it had sent combat troops to help Russia in recapturing parts of the Kursk region, which had fallen to a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year.
Moscow also acknowledged the North Korean involvement, with Putin issuing a statement thanking the North for sending troops to support his forces and promising not to forget their sacrifices. (AP)
