North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has visited the construction site of a new “modern naval base” and has pledged to further develop the country’s maritime forces. The new facility’s location would give Pyongyang a strategic advantage, he said.
Late last year, Kim ordered North Korea’s military and arms-manufacturing industry to “further accelerate war preparations” in the face of what he characterized as “unprecedented” acts of confrontation against the country by the US and its regional allies.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has since intensified missile tests and also unveiled a new multiple rocket launcher and kamikaze drones, among other weaponry.
On Sunday, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Kim’s inspection of the port construction site. The media outlet quoted the country’s leader as singling out the development of a modern navy as an urgent priority, given the “regional security environment.”
Kim also pointed out that it was only natural for a country like North Korea to place special emphasis on this particular area, since the DPRK is “bounded on the east and west sides by the sea.”
The official reportedly added that with larger and more modern warships and submarines expected to be commissioned by the navy in the near future, a base capable of hosting them is a pressing necessity.
He also revealed plans to build a “modern port city” that would serve as the base for the country’s navy.
The US, South Korea and Japan have repeatedly accused the DPRK of unnecessarily ratcheting up tensions in the region with its missile tests and other shows of force. Pyongyang, in turn, insists that its military programs are strictly defensive in nature and are meant to fend off potential foreign aggression.
North Korea has on multiple occasions cited joint US-South Korean and US-Japanese military drills in its vicinity, that have at times involved American nuclear-powered submarines and nuclear-capable bombers, as proof that Washington may harbor such intentions.