Pyongyang

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was seen visiting arms and ammunition factories as the country's foreign ministry criticised what it termed as the "activities of monitoring sanctions against DPRK" by the United States and its allies, said the state media reports on Monday (May 13).

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Kim on Saturday (May 11) as well as Sunday (May 12) inspected weapons including sniper rifles and rocket launchers at the weapons manufacturing facilities and heaped praises on their quality.

He further directed the factories to implement production plans without fail, said the state media reports.

Also read: US and China ratchet up AI arms race amid growing strategic concerns

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Kim attends live test-firing of controllable shells for rocket launchers 

Kim on Friday (May 10) gained an understanding of the technically updated version of the 240 mm multiple rocket launcher system and oversaw the live test-fire of controllable shells for multiple rocket launchers manufactured at various national defence industrial enterprises.

"The updated multiple rocket launcher with high mobility and concentration of fire has an automatic fire combined control system and will be deployed to units of the Korean People's Army as replacement equipment from 2024 to 2026," KCNA said, adding such "a significant change" will soon be made in increasing the artillery combat ability of the North's army.

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This comes as the state's foreign ministry released a statement and condemned what it described as an increased surveillance of North Korea by US allies under the pretense of monitoring the UN sanctions violations. 

The ministry also called out countries including the UK, Canada, Germany, France, New Zealand and Australia and said that it will take necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and security.

"The Democratic People's Republic Of Korea (DPRK) will take necessary measures to firmly defend the sovereignty and security of the state on the basis of a rigorous analysis of the negative influence being caused by the grave acts of some countries including UK, Canada, Germany, France, New Zealand and Australia taking part in the so-called 'activities of monitoring sanctions against DPRK,'" said North Korea's foreign ministry in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)