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NORTH KOREAN LEADER Kim Jong Un has ordered a drastic increase in production of missiles and other weapons, state media said, days before South Korea and the US begin annual military drills that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal.
Kim’s push to produce more weapons also comes as US officials believe Russia’s defence minister recently talked with North Korea about selling more weapons to Russia for its war with Ukraine.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said today that Kim visited factories producing tactical missiles, mobile launch platforms, armoured vehicles and artillery shells on Friday and Saturday.
During a stop at the missile factory, Kim set a goal to “drastically boost” production capacity so the facility can mass produce missiles to meet the needs of frontline military units, KCNA said.
The qualitative level of war preparations depends on the development of the munitions industry and the factory bears a very important responsibility in speeding up the war preparations of the (North) Korean People’s Army,” Kim said, according to the report.
Visiting other factories, Kim called for building more modern missile launch trucks and said there is an urgent need to boost production of large-calibre multiple rocket launcher shells “at an exponential rate”, the report said.
He also drove a new utility combat armoured vehicle, KCNA said.
Kim has been focusing on enlarging his nuclear and missile arsenals since his high-stakes diplomacy with then US president Donald Trump collapsed in 2019.
Since the start of 2022, Kim’s military has conducted more than 100 missile tests, many of them in the name of warning the US and South Korea over their expansion of joint military training exercises.
North Korea could perform more weapons tests soon as the US and South Korea are set to start their summer military exercises later this month.
North Korea calls the US-South Korean training a practice for an invasion. The allies say they have no intentions of attacking North Korea.
KCNA quoted Kim as saying North Korea must have “an overwhelming military force and get fully prepared for coping with any war” with the power to “surely annihilate” its enemies.
Many experts say Kim eventually aims to use his modernised weapons arsenals to wrest US concessions, such as sanctions relief, whenever diplomacy resumes with Washington.
Earlier this month, the White House said US intelligence officials had determined that Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu spoke to North Korean officials during a visit to Pyongyang last month about increasing the sale of munitions to Moscow for its war in Ukraine.
North Korea has denied American claims that it shipped artillery shells and ammunition to Russia. But the North has publicly supported Russia over the war and hinted at sending workers to help rebuild Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine.
Kim has been trying to beef up ties with China and Russia in the face of US-led pressure campaigns over its nuclear programme and pandemic-related economic difficulties.
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“British Isles” ? seriously Journal. Time to move on!
Not that I like it either…. but it is a geographic term, not a political term.
“These Islands” is more neutral. About the only genuinely neutral thing about any of them.
The British Isles is not a recognised political or geographical term
@Awkward Seal: it’s a perfectly fine geographical term. The only issue with it is that it makes some Irish people get hysterical.
@Damocles: So if it makes ‘some’ Irish people hysterical, that’s OK?
@Paul Culligan: yes. People just need to calm down. Smell the cake, blow on the pizza.
@Paul Culligan: it helps sell rags and clickbait the keyboard warriors
The proposed legislation is written in a manner that is designed to be abused. The minister’s justification for the legislation has been undermined to the extent that only sucking up to the UK is left. The Minister is intent on securing rights for Foreign fishing vessels along the Irish foreshore and ignoring the Irish fishing industry and coastal communities. A Minister that is not for the Irish fishing industry is against it. Minister Creed should resign over this. This marine department would have successfully disowned our natural resources were it not for the successful appeal by the fishermen in the Supreme Court. Irish resources for Irish vessels. We have some of the best fishing grounds in Europe so let’s find a Minister with ability to deliver for the Irish fishing industry.
Our government rushed this bill to the dail to keep on the British governments good side , without holding any meetings to consult with the Irish fishermen the actual people that will be affected if it was passed. Already our fishing grounds are on a lot of stress and letting more access to them from northern boats would see the demise of a lot of them which would only recover by reducing fishing effort . When all go to shite which it will because our government is trying to please Britain and the eu , who will compensate the Irish fisherman with big boat mortgages ?? Nobody there is no compensation of decommissioning plan in place for the vessels, the will f**k us over and say tough shite.
The EU is sinking and Ireland wont float!!
@Trump Re[Loaded]: lol you need to stop watching RT or Breitbart. sad,
I bet the EU will hand them over to the Spainish now?
Fishing being a natural resource is vitally important and should not be abused. First and foremost the Minister must fight the ROI fishing sector corner first , last and always. Everything else is noise and an unwelcome distraction from securing the best deal for Irish boats. If deals are to be done with the northern fleet or the U.K. fleet it must be done on the basis of reciprocity where Ireland does not lose out. So sit tight, keep calm and await the outcome of PM May’s negotiations on Brexit ; there will be all sorts of opportunities and Ireland with its “cute hoor” mentality is ideally suited to exploiting any confusion from the Brexit fallout. Tight lines !
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