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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 15 augusT 2023

North Korea’s Kim orders sharp increase in missile production

By HYUNG-JIN KIM as the U.S. and South Korea
Associated Press are set to start their summer
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — military exercises next Mon-
North Korean leader Kim day. North Korea calls the
Jong Un again toured ma- U.S.-South Korean training
jor munitions factories and a practice for an invasion.
ordered a drastic increase The allies say they have
in production of missiles no intentions of attacking
and other weapons, state North Korea.
media said Monday, as KCNA quoted Kim as saying
the South Korean and U.S. North Korea must have “an
militaries announced they overwhelming military force
will begin major drills next and get fully prepared for
week to hone their joint ca- coping with any war” with
pability against the North’s the power to “surely annihi-
evolving nuclear threats. late” its enemies.
Kim’s push to produce The U.S.-South Korean
more weapons also comes drills, called Ulchi Freedom
as U.S. officials believe Rus- Shield, is a computer-sim-
sia’s defense minister re- ulated command post ex-
cently talked with North ercise. During this year’s
Korea about selling more exercise that is scheduled
weapons to Russia for its to run through until Aug. 31,
war with Ukraine. In this undated photo provided on Monday, Aug. 14, 2023, by the North Korean government, North the allies said they’ll also
The Korean Central News Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, rides on an armored vehicle during his Aug. 11-12 visit to a conduct large-scale field
Agency said Kim visited military factory in North Korea. Associated Press training events, which will
factories producing tacti- reportedly be the largest of
cal missiles, mobile launch said. urgent need to boost pro- ed more than 100 missile their kind in recent years.
platforms, armored ve- “The qualitative level of duction of large-caliber tests, many of them in the South Korea’s Joint Chiefs
hicles and artillery shells war preparations depends multiple rocket launcher name of warning the U.S. of Staff spokesperson, Lee
on Friday and Saturday. on the development of the shells “at an exponential and South Korea over their Sung Joon, told reporters
He visited a spate of other munitions industry and the rate,” the report said. Kim expansion of joint military that this year’s UFS drills are
munitions factories in early factory bears a very impor- also drove a new utility training exercises. Many aimed at further strength-
August. tant responsibility in speed- combat armored vehicle, experts say Kim eventually ening the allies’ response
During a stop at the missile ing up the war prepara- KCNA said. Kim has been aims to use his modernized capabilities by performing
factory, Kim set a goal to tions of the (North) Korean focusing on enlarging his weapons arsenals to wrest exercises based on sce-
“drastically boost” produc- People’s Army,” Kim said, nuclear and missile arsenals U.S. concessions, such as narios that reflect North
tion capacity so the facility according to the report. since his high-stakes diplo- sanctions relief, whenever Korea’s advancing nuclear
can mass produce missiles Visiting other factories, Kim macy with then-President diplomacy resumes with and missile capabilities and
to meet the needs of front- called for building more Donald Trump collapsed in Washington. other regional security situ-
line military units, KCNA modern missile launch 2019. Since the start of 2022, North Korea could perform ations. q
trucks and said there is an Kim’s military has conduct- more weapons tests soon

Sweden calls for vigilance abroad after Quran desecrations and

protests

COPENHAGEN, Denmark States and other actors of measures and working of the Quran or other reli- have any blasphemy laws;
(AP) — A senior Swedish of- have helped amplify such closely with international gious texts. Like many West- Sweden’s were aban-
ficial said Monday Swedes messages.” He said extrem- partners to protect Swedes ern countries, it doesn’t doned in the 1970s.q
abroad and businesses ists who previously consid- and Swedish interests
linked to Sweden”should ered Sweden a “legitimate abroad and to counteract
observe increased vigi- target” now consider it a the hate messages being
lance and caution,” follow- “priority.” The statement spread about Sweden,” he
ing recent Quran burnings did not identify those in- said,
in the country and protests volved. This month, Sweden
in the Muslim world. Landerholm said there also stepped up border con-
Henrik Landerholm, Swe- were “indications” that trols and identity checks at
den’s National Security Ad- groups are planning other crossing points.
viser, said there are signs of acts against Swedish in- A recent string of public
“a heightened threat” to terests abroad, and cited Quran desecrations by a
the country and to Swedish the storming of Sweden’s handful of anti-Islam activ-
interests abroad, adding Embassy in Baghdad last ists in Sweden and more re-
the security situation has month and an attempted cently in neighboring Den-
worsened. attack on the diplomatic mark has sparked angry
In a statement, Landerholm mission in Beirut last week. demonstrations in Muslim Supporters of a radical Islamist party ‘Tehreek-e-Labaik
said that “representatives The Swedish government countries. Pakistan’ burn the representation of Swedish flag during a rally
of terrorist groups have and relevant authorities Sweden does not have a to denounce burning of Islam’s holy book ‘Quran’, in Karachi,
called for attacks against “are monitoring develop- law specifically prohibiting Pakistan, on July 7, 2023.
Sweden. ments, taking a variety the burning or desecration Associated Press