North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected a factory manufacturing launch vehicles for intercontinental ballistic missiles such as the Hwasong-18, calling for output to be boosted in preparation for "a military showdown with the enemy," state-run media said Friday.
During the inspection, the date of which was not stated by the official Korean Central News Agency, Kim underlined the need for the factory to "make signal successes continuously in the production to radically modernize our army."
Kim referred to the importance of producing various military vehicles known as transporter erector launchers for tactical and strategic weapons in "ceaselessly bolstering the nuclear war deterrent of the country," KCNA said.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the ruling party, carried a picture showing multiple TELs. State-run media did not report the location of the factory, but it is believed to be in Pyongsong, a city north of Pyongyang.
Kim was accompanied by his "respected daughter" as well as his younger sister Kim Yo Jong, who is a senior official of North Korea's ruling party, KCNA said.
The inspection followed Kim's instruction at a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea last week to further boost the country's nuclear arsenal in 2024.
During the factory visit, Kim pointed to "the prevailing grave situation," referring to expanded security cooperation between the United States, South Korea and Japan.
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