North Korea Accelerates Naval Base Construction, Kim Jong Un Encourages Progress

The Ministry of Unification stated that North Korea is accelerating the construction of naval bases on the East and West coasts, in line with its shipbuilding plans. This assessment follows Kim Jong Un's recent visit to a naval base construction site on the East Coast.

During a briefing with reporters on the 12th, a ministry official noted that Kim's visit aimed to encourage the completion of the new naval base. The official remarked, "As North Korea focuses on strengthening its naval capabilities through shipbuilding, it is also ramping up efforts to develop crucial naval infrastructure, including the East and West Coast naval bases. Kim's on-site guidance is seen as a push for the swift completion of these bases."

North Korea has been actively developing ships and underwater weapons while also prioritizing the expansion of facilities such as naval ports and maintenance and supply bases. This shift indicates a move away from its previous focus on coastal defense, aiming to broaden the operational range and maritime strike capabilities of its navy.

The exact locations of the under-construction naval bases have not been disclosed. While the area around Muncheon and Dapchon Port in Gangwon Province is frequently mentioned, there are also suggestions that the bases could be near Jangjeon Port, based on Kim's visit to the Tongchon County area on the same day.

The ministry official stated, "We consider this naval base to be a new construction," but added that it is difficult to predict whether the new base will be closer to the border than existing facilities.

Meanwhile, the Korean Central News Agency reported that Kim inspected the construction site of the naval base on the East Coast the previous day, checking on the progress of the work. Kim ordered the modernization, multifunctionality, and fortification of the base and instructed that the construction be completed to the required standards within the timeframe set by the Workers' Party.