(LEAD) N. Korea's Kim inspects east coast naval base under construction, urges timely completion

(ATTN: ADDS photo, Seoul official's comments in last 6 paras)

SEOUL, Nov. 12 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a major naval base under construction on the east coast, calling the project "crucial" to the country's security and maritime sovereignty, state media reported Thursday.

Kim made the remarks during his Wednesday visit and urged the construction work to be finished within the deadline set by the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

Accompanied by Pak Jong-chon, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the WPK, Kim was briefed on the progress of the project by commanding officers at the site.

Kim called for building "as early as possible" a Korean-style naval command center, a hub of naval culture and a center of naval combat capability, along with the base's infrastructure, according to the KCNA.

"As the construction of the modern naval base is a crucial core undertaking directly related to the security of our state and the defense of its maritime sovereignty from A to Z, it should be completed without fail" to the standard required by the party and within the period it has set, he was quoted as saying.

On the same day, Kim also gave "field guidance" at newly built residential quarters in Tongchon County, Kangwon Province, where the construction of a large-scale naval base is under way, a separate KCNA report said.

The North's leader "expressed great satisfaction, enjoying a bird's-eye view of the modern residential quarters in the township of Thongchon County wonderfully built in a little over two months," the report said.

The homes were built first to shelter residents displaced by the construction of the base, and those residents are expected to move in soon, it added.

During his visit, Kim criticized the construction sector for insufficient innovation and overly stylistic designs.

Kim called for "deeper attention" to the quality of housing and to residents' "material and cultural well-being," rather than the mere visible expansion of new buildings, according to the report.

He described the Regional Development 20x10 Policy and rural housing construction as "important revolutionary tasks to be carried out unconditionally and without fail."

While North Korea did not reveal the exact location of the naval base, Kim's visit to Tongchon County has fueled speculation that the work is centered on Jangjon Port, either as a new base or an expansion of the existing naval facilities there.

Jangjon Port was once North Korea's southernmost naval base on the East Sea. After an inter-Korean tour program on Mount Kumgang began in the late 1990s, it was converted into a civilian military port to accommodate South Korean cruise ships, and warship traffic fell sharply.

Since 2019, however, North Korean warships have been spotted there more frequently, prompting speculation that Pyongyang is restoring the port's military role.

An official at Seoul's unification ministry, however, remained cautious about the possibility that the base is being built at Jangjon Port.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, the official said the site seems to lie farther north than the port, and that more analysis with relevant government agencies is needed to determine whether construction is under way there.

The official also said it appears to be a new base, not an expansion of an existing one.

Kim's visit comes as the North is seeking to expand and modernize its naval forces.

Last week, he visited Nampho Shipyard, located some 60 kilometers southwest of Pyongyang, where a new warship is under construction, and called for a rapid buildup of naval combat power.

North Korea has deployed nuclear-capable naval assets on both coasts in recent months.

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
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