Kim Jong-un inspects the modernization of Nampo Shipyard... “There must be an advanced ship base”

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un inspected the modernization work and construction of new warships at the Nampo Shipyard and repeatedly emphasized his will to strengthen the navy.

On the 4th, the Korean Central News Agency reported, "Comrade Kim Jong-un gave field guidance to the Nampo Shipyard on November 2," and "Comrade Cho Chun-ryong, secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, accompanied him."

The news agency reported that Chairman Kim "heard the overall plan for the reconstruction and modernization of the shipyard and learned in detail the status of the economic organization project and construction status related to the modernization construction."

Chairman Kim pointed out, “Rapidly strengthening surface and underwater power in order to protect national sovereignty in the ocean where various threats occur is being raised as a vital and important demand of the times.”

He continued, "Today, the need to completely renew the Navy's combat capabilities is due to the fact that a new geopolitical situation has been created and the nuclear blackmail and threats of regional enemies, which have a serious and real impact on the security of the country, must be suppressed by force."

Chairman Kim emphasized, “If we are to build a powerful naval force, we must have an advanced and highly technological shipbuilding base.”

At the same time, he said that a high level of automation must be guaranteed in the entire production process and that one additional ground dock must be built to have the ability to build and repair ships in parallel. The importance of recruiting talent was also emphasized.

In addition, Chairman Kim toured the new warship construction site and said, "He expressed great satisfaction with the huge and imposing appearance that could not be compared to the destroyer built last year," the news agency reported.

Chairman Kim gave meaning, saying, "The new ship, which is designed to perform complex operational missions by comprehensively analyzing the history of ship development and considering the current war pattern, global development direction, and our country's specific situation, is built from the intended design stage as a combat system with operational capabilities that no other country in the world has."

North Korea deployed the new 5,000-ton class destroyers ‘Choi Hyeon-ho’ and ‘Kang Geon-ho’ to the West and East Seas in June and September of this year, respectively.

At the Choi Hyun-ho commissioning ceremony, Chairman Kim announced plans to further increase naval power, saying that two surface ships of the Choi Hyun-class or higher, including a 10,000-ton cruiser, will be built each year.