North Korea's Kim inspects construction of key naval base, KCNA says

North Korean leader ​Kim Jong Un inspected the ‌construction of ​a naval base on the east coast of the country, state media KCNA said ‌on Thursday.

Kim set out guidelines on deploying strategic assets and ordered stronger command and construction forces to speed up work on the naval port, ‌KCNA said. Kim also inspected more than 1,000 new residential ‌quarters on the same day that were built in Thongchon County, Kangwon Province, near the construction site of a large-scale naval base, KCNA said in a separate report. ⁠It ​did not say ⁠whether that was the base Kim had inspected.

North Korea has accelerated efforts to ⁠modernise its navy under Kim, who has increasingly turned his focus to expanding "strategic ​assets" in key waters. Earlier this year two North Korean ⁠5,000-ton destroyers, the Choe Hyon and the Kang Kon, entered service in June and September ⁠respectively, ​according to state media. Kim said in September the Kang Kon would form part of North Korea's state nuclear response system.

Pyongyang ⁠has said it is also building an 8,700-ton-class nuclear-powered submarine. Kim said in ⁠September that ⁠new naval bases were being built on the east coast, adding that another "significant" naval advance would be unveiled ‌in eight ‌months.