Kim visits munitions factories, gives field guidance

PYONGYANG — Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, has given field guidance to major munitions factories, state media said on Sunday.

Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, visited a factory producing engines for armed unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as production lines of shells for super-large-caliber multiple rocket launchers and transporter-erector-launchers, the official Korean Central News Agency reported.

During a visit to a factory manufacturing the engines for strategic cruise missiles and armed unmanned aerial vehicles, Kim called for "steadily enhancing the performance and reliability of the engine" and "rapidly expanding its production capacity", KCNA said.

He stressed the need to ensure the speed, quality and quantity in the production of engines, the agency reported.

Kim also highlighted the modernization of small arms as "the most important and urgent matter in making war preparations… in keeping with the changed aspect of war", KCNA reported.

During Kim's visit to a factory producing shells for super large-caliber multiple rocket launchers, he praised the factory for its great success in achieving the long-term goal of updating production processes, KCNA reported.

Kim stressed the "important responsibility and duty" in "rounding off (DPRK's) army's war preparations", KCNA said.

He called upon the officials, workers, technicians and military inspectors to "go all out for the successful implementation of the grand national defense development strategy", KCNA reported.

Kim's three-day inspections through Saturday came as the United States and the Republic of Korea prepared for their next round of combined military exercises planned for later this month, The Associated Press reported.

DPRK staged at the end of July a large military parade in Pyongyang, one of several events in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the victory in the country's Fatherland Liberation War, KCNA reported.

Agencies Via Xinhua