Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, visited a munitions factory over the weekend to test various weapons, including a new truck for a multiple rocket launcher system. This visit comes amidst reports of North Korea becoming a key military export hub, supplying Russia with artillery shells and ballistic missiles for the war in Ukraine.
Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, visited a munitions factory where he was seen testing various weapons, including a new truck designed for a multiple rocket launcher system. This visit, which took place over the weekend, saw Kim aiming a sniper rifle and inspecting production lines, calling for modernization and mass production of artillery tools.
Pyongyang is becoming a significant global military export hub, supplying Russia with artillery shells and ballistic missiles for its war in Ukraine. Since a summit in September last year, North Korea has reportedly shipped around 6,700 containers of weapons to Russia. These shipments could contain up to three million rounds of 152mm artillery shells or 500,000 rounds of 122mm artillery shells.
Experts like Yang Uk from the Asan Institute for Policy Studies and Shin Seung-ki from the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses suggest that Kim’s visit could be a marketing move to attract foreign buyers, particularly from countries like Russia, Iran, and Syria. North Korean state media recently highlighted the “superiority and destructive power” of their modernized rocket launcher systems following a live-fire test guided by Kim.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit China for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This visit marks Putin’s first overseas trip since securing a fifth term and follows Xi’s recent European tour, where he did not pressure Moscow to end its war against Ukraine. During their meeting, the leaders are expected to discuss reinforcing their bilateral ties and their shared vision of a multipolar world order. China and Russia have seen significant increases in trade, with China’s imports of Russian crude oil rising by 24% last year. The visit underscores the ongoing strategic partnership between the two nations amid rising tensions with the U.S. and its allies.