North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected several military facilities, state media reported Sunday, after nearly a month primarily focused on restoration efforts following severe flood damage.
In addition to visiting the O Jin U Artillery Academy on Friday, Kim inspected a shipbuilding yard, a munitions factory and a naval base construction site, according to multiple reports by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
Since the heavy rains in late July, which caused widespread flooding in the northern provinces of Jagang and North Phyongan and displaced thousands, Kim has concentrated on recovery efforts.
The military inspections came as North Korea prepares to celebrate Monday’s 76th anniversary of the regime’s founding.
During his visit to the academy, Kim said the institution “should thoroughly implement the Party’s idea of prioritizing the artillery and its policy on military education in the future,” the KCNA said.
The academy, previously named the Kim Chol-ju Artillery Academy — named after th
e younger brother of Kim Il-sung, the late grandfather of Kim Jong-un — was renamed in 2013.
This is believed to be the first time Kim Jong-un has visited the academy since coming to power.
After inspecting the naval base site, Kim stated that building “a modern and multifunctional naval base is a process of key importance in developing the naval force into a powerful service in conformity with the regional security environment preparedness.”
While touring the shipbuilding facility, Kim emphasized that “the strengthening of naval force is the most important matter in firmly defending the maritime sovereignty of the country and stepping up the war preparedness at present.”
During his visit to defense industrial enterprises, Kim expressed gratitude to workers for “carrying out the huge munitions production tasks in a responsible and correct way and making a great contribution to the development of our armed forces.”
The timing of Kim’s visit to the three locations, as well as their exact locations, was no
t disclosed.
Source: Yonhap News Agency