North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a tank factory and expressed satisfaction over the upgraded structural design of indigenous tanks, while emphasizing the need to modernize the military with advanced tanks, the North's state media reported Sunday.
Kim inspected the factory's production status, modernization and progress in implementing research tasks related to core tank technology, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.
It did not disclose the name or location of the factory or the date of his visit, describing it only as an "important" tank factory.
"To replace the armoured weapons of the last century in our army with latest tanks and armoured vehicles is the most important issue in the building of armed forces and modernization of the army," the KCNA quoted Kim as saying during the field guidance.
"It is impossible to build the armoured force properly" unless the military role and developmental direction of tanks in modern warfare are correctly defined and the viewpoint in tank design is reconsidered, Kim said as he presented the direction of tank modernization and related tasks.
He also emphasized the need to build large-scale capacity for producing cutting-edge tanks and self-propelled guns and to upgrade the overall armored weapon systems in a short span of time, describing it as an important task for the governing party in bringing about "the second revolution in armoured force."
The KCNA reported that Kim expressed "satisfaction" with the upgraded structural design of indigenous tanks and the composition of their firepower system, saying that they demonstrated scientific accuracy and reliability for a high-thrust engine.
Kim noted that a "more development-oriented prospect" has opened up in the tank industry and the party's policy of "further perfecting" core technologies for the main battle tank is being pursued through steady development and production success, according to the KCNA.
