The visit to mobile shortrange missile launchers factories on Monday and Tuesday is the second reported by the regime's media in the last week, following news that Kim had visited an intercontinental ballistic missile launcher factory in Pyongsong, outside the capital, Pyongyang on January 5 .
Kim was again accompanied on the visits by Jo Chunryong, head of the ammunition industry department, and sister Kim Yojong, deputy director of the propaganda department.
According to the KCNA news agency, in addition to Defense Minister Kang Sunnam, two other key figures in the North Korean weapons program were present.
Although he listed “some deficiencies recently identified in the organization of weapons production,” Kim expressed satisfaction with the performance.
The North Korean leader also told workers that it was time to define “the Republic of Korea,” the South's official name.
“For almost 80 years, (South Korea) has pursued the worst confrontation to overthrow our power and regime, as it is the most hostile state to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea,” the North's official nameKim remarked.
“The Republic of Korea gang is our main enemy” the official added, explaining that Pyongyang should not unilaterally start a conflict. At the same time, “there is no intention to avoid war,” he said.
At the end of a singleparty plenum in late December, the North Korean leader declared that reconciliation and reunification with the South was impossible.
Last week, Pyongyang conducted three days of artillery drills around its western maritime border with the South after announcing in November the suspension of the 2018 bilateral military agreement that, among other things, banned livefire exercises at those border areas.