North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for an increase in the production of missile launchers in preparation for a "military clash" with South Korea and the United States, state media said, quoted by AFP.
His comments, carried by the official Korean Central News Agency, came shortly after Washington said Russia had used ballistic missiles and launchers provided by North Korea in a recent series of attacks on cities in Ukraine.
State media pictures showed Kim, with his young daughter Joo Ae in his arms, touring a factory that makes transportable energy launchers (TELs) used for the country's banned intercontinental ballistic missiles, before hailing a "dynamic drive to increase production." of weapons.
Kim told the workers that increasing TEL's production capacity was important "in view of the prevailing dire situation that requires the country to be more seriously prepared for a military clash with the enemy," KCNA reported.
"He specified the immediate production plan of TEL varieties, the long-term production plan and the task of expanding production capacity" to strengthen the country's nuclear military deterrence capability, the statement added.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters that the Pyongyang-supplied missiles, which have a range of about 900 km, were fired by Russia in two attacks on Ukraine in the past week.
"Our information indicates that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has recently provided Russia with ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles," Kirby said./BGNES
