North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is making headlines once again, this time for inspecting a new tactical missile system and calling for an “epochal change” in war preparations. State media reported on Wednesday that Kim visited the combined missile units of the Korean People’s Army to acquaint himself with the new system.
According to the report from the state-run Korean Central News Agency, North Korea’s weapons factories have already fulfilled their munitions plans for the first half of the year and are on track to produce the new tactical missile system by the end of the year. The specifics of the new system were not disclosed.
This latest inspection comes on the heels of Kim’s visit to munitions factories producing sniper rifles and vehicles for transporting multiple rocket launcher systems. Just last week, he oversaw the test-firing of controllable shells for an updated version of the North’s 240mm multiple rocket launcher system.
Speculation is rife that North Korea’s recent tests and increased weapons production are aimed at potential sales to Russia and other buyers. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff even referred to a recent artillery firing drill as a possible “demonstration of the performance … for export.”
The accusations of North Korea sending weapons to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine have been ongoing, with South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik claiming that North Korea had already sent 7,000 containers of munitions to Russia. Both Pyongyang and Moscow deny these allegations, but the use of North Korean missiles in the Ukrainian conflict has been documented.
As tensions continue to rise, South Korea’s top spy agency is now investigating claims that North Korean artillery shells from the 1970s are appearing on the battlefield in Ukraine. The situation remains fluid as the world watches closely for any further developments.