[1/3] North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gives field guidance at a major weapon factory in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency on August 6, 2023. KCNA via REUTERS
Summary Kim cites precision processing, automation at arms factories
Pyongyang pushing arms development, holding prominent displays
Kim wants to improve arms for export to Russia -analyst
North Korea denies selling arms to Moscow
SEOUL, Aug 6 (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has instructed factories making missile engines, artillery and other weapons to boost capacity as an important part of bolstering the country's defence capabilities, state media said on Sunday.
Kim's inspections from Thursday to Saturday included the production of engines for strategic cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as shells for super large-calibre multiple-rocket launchers and transporter-erector-launchers, said state news agency KCNA.
His unusual visits to multiple arms production facilities over several days come as Pyongyang pushes to develop various strategic and conventional weapons and holds prominent displays of a range of arms.
The launchers Kim inspected are normally used to fire ballistic missiles.
North Korea has tested rocket launchers for larger calibre shells, advanced cruise missiles and last month its newest ballistic missiles, including a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile.
Kim cited improved precision processing and modernised automation in the production of large-calibre multiple-rocket launcher shells, KCNA said.
He called for the mass production of "various kinds of cutting-edge strategic weapon engines... and thus make a great contribution to bringing about a revolution in developing new strategic weapons of our style," the agency said.
Photos showed Kim firing different types of assault rifles, with fiery blasts coming off the muzzle as he took aim at a target that was out of frame.
Cheong Seong-chang, an expert on North Korea's political strategy at the Sejong Institute near Seoul, said Kim is likely focussed on modernisation and technical innovation of weapons that will help with the export of arms to Russia.
Marking the 70th anniversary of the end of the Korean War on July 27, Pyongyang held a major military parade displaying its newest nuclear-capable missiles and attack and spy drones, with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and a senior Chinese official joining Kim in the reviewing stand.
At a large defence exhibition, Kim gave Shoigu a tour of the display of ballistic missiles and what appeared to be a new drone.
The United States has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia for its war in Ukraine, including a "significant" number of artillery shells, as well as a shipment of infantry rockets and missiles to Russia's mercenary Wagner Group.
Russia and North Korea have denied those claims.
Reporting by Jack Kim; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Daniel Wallis and William Mallard
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Cenodoxus on August 6th, 2023 at 14:00 UTC »
There are several points of interest here:
Boosting production won't be easy. If Kim Jong-un is serious about this, I still wouldn't expect to see any major production gains in the near term. North Korea's economy is brutally inefficient. There's a hard question about where they'd get the labor, the materials, the space, or even just the hours in the day to do this. One of the more plausible scenarios is that NK assigns some military units to arms manufacturing, because that's what they've previously done for industries with severe labor shortages. North Korean quality control is famous for neither quality nor control. I don't know that I'd want to be dependent on NK for anything that requires reliability or precision. Artillery shells are one thing, and Russia can certainly make use of those, but more complex weapons could be a risky ask. Or -- sudden thought -- is that part of the bargain? Would Russia supply technology transfer and factory schematics in return for help? And/or more fuel assistance? That's troubling, but possible. The regime isn't exactly awash in hard currency sources, and if it could manufacture Russian-designed weapons on the cheap, that would be a very attractive proposition to a lot of unsavory people around the globe. You have to think Russia wouldn't want its own industry to be undermined like that, but the need to supply the war effort is the more immediate concern (and global perception of Russian weapons has certainly taken a hit over the last 1.5 years). NK will have to get materials for these weapons somewhere; they can't make all of them in-house. NK's ports of entry are very limited and -- for legitimate business purposes, anyway -- highly-controlled. If they have to start importing raw materials in quantity, there are only so many places that can happen. All ports and rail/road links between NK/China and NK/Russia are probably being scrutinized right now (though I expect that's been happening for a while; reports of Russia buying ammunition and artillery shells from NK were first declassified by the U.S. in September 2022). Moreover, the Russian connection is especially problematic; the border with Russia is tiny (~11 miles), with no road links and a single rail link over the Tumangang bridge and different railway gauges. If you really needed to move a lot of stuff, going through China would be faster and easier, but that keeps dragging China into a conflict that they desperately want to avoid. I think I've said this on Reddit before, but if Xi Jinping has any brain at all, the person he hates most in the world right now is Vladimir Putin. Shoigu's presence at the military parade is instructive. I don't think this is a comfortable situation for Russia. Their relationship with NK has always been hugely lopsided in their favor, and it has to be disquieting to find yourself dependent (or potentially dependent) on East Asia's problem child. Russia's labor capacity at this point has to be an issue. The Economist estimated in March 2023 that Russia's population loss during the war (between battlefield deaths and emigration) may exceed 2 million people. Between sanctions, the embarrassing performance of its military, emigration, the rising diplomatic cost, and Finnish/Swedish accession to NATO, that land bridge to Crimea has come at a very high price.Putin might think it's worth it. I don't know that future generations of Russians will see it the same way.
Peer_turtles on August 6th, 2023 at 13:45 UTC »
Can't wait for South Korea V North Korea women's soccer match on October 29th. It'll be a tough game for us since the North Koreans will be playing for their lives.
Miserable-Scar3612 on August 6th, 2023 at 09:11 UTC »
SS:
Kim cites precision processing, automation at arms factories
Pyongyang pushing arms development, holding prominent displays
Kim wants to improve arms for export to Russia -analyst
North Korea denies selling arms to Moscow