SEOUL, May 04 (AJP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspected a key tank production facility to praise the development of North Korean-style armored weapons and outline plans to modernize the country’s armored forces. Pyongyang’s state-controlled Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported the visit on Sunday but did not disclose the exact date of the inspection.
According to KCNA, Kim was briefed on ongoing research, modernization, and production efforts during a tour of the facility. He was accompanied by senior officials, including Kim Yong Hwan, president of the Academy of Defence Sciences.
Kim said replacing aging armored vehicles with new-generation tanks and armored vehicles was “the most important issue in the building of armed forces and modernization of the army.” He noted that the new North Korean-style tanks featured improved structural design and an upgraded firepower system aimed at enhancing combat performance and crew convenience.
The updated tanks reportedly include a high-thrust engine, integrated power transmission devices, and modern active and passive protection systems. Electronic warfare capabilities have also been enhanced. KCNA described these features as representing “great progress in the core technology of Korean-style tanks.”
Kim stressed the need for a fundamental reassessment of tank design based on changes in the strategic environment and modern warfare, stating that North Korea must define the military function and role of tanks accordingly.
He also supported a comprehensive modernization plan for the tank factory, aimed at creating large-scale production capacity for cutting-edge tanks and self-propelled guns. This, he said, would help realize the strategic goals of the Workers' Party of Korea in what he described as a “second revolution in armored force.”
In addition to production, Kim called for improvements to the labor environment at the facility and urged it to serve as a model for munitions industry culture in the “new century.”
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