North Korea is revving up production of automatic firearm ammunition, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a Daily NK source in North Korea said Tuesday that the country is “producing ammunition to meet the specs of [newly developed] firearms,” adding that the “performance of the ammunition currently in production has been doubled to increase revolutions and speed to match the long barrels of the new firearms.”
He said several calibers are in production “as there are several types of new firearms,” and that the authorities “plan to distribute weapons and ammunition to each unit in line with their combat duties.”
Daily NK reported in late August that North Korea had developed a new sniper rifle, which it plans to distribute first to the 11th Corps, or so-called Storm Corps, a special forces unit.
However, North Korea still lacks the money, supplies, electricity and manpower to produce the ammunition.
“Generally speaking, munition factories don’t have the wherewithal to produce the new ammunition,” the source said. “This is because they operate to produce only the amounts stipulated in their annual quotas.”
That being said, given how North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for increasing production capacity of weapons during his recent inspections of key munition factories, reminding them that “the material level of the country’s war preparations depends on the development of munition industries,” some factories are mobilizing all resources on hand to urgently produce ammunition, the source said.
“To carry out an emergency task, the Workers’ Party must provide money, the necessary supplies and electricity, ensure worker attendance and supply work uniforms, tools and other items,” the source said. “Specially designated munition plants in Chagang Province and North Pyongan Province are producing ammunition, even though [government] support is lacking.”
Meanwhile, North Korea plans to export its old ammunition, with the remainder either provided to militia units or used in training. This suggests that North Korea is exporting not only weapons, but also ammunition.
“We are exporting what existing ammunition we have,” the source said. “As for the ammunition we can’t export, we plan to provide it to the armories of militia units, Worker-Peasant Red Guards and Red Youth Guards and expend it during exercises.”
In late July, North Korean media released of photos of Kim Jong Un at a weapons exposition with a Russian military delegation visiting North Korea to celebrate Pyongyang’s “victory” in the Korean War on July 27. The North Korean leader was shown providing personal explanations of the systems on display, and state-run media published severeal reports on Kim’s inspections of munitions factories. Following these reports, speculation emerged that North Korea was gearing up to export weapons to Russia to relieve the country’s arms shortages due to the war in Ukraine.
Daily NK reported in late August that North Korea is smuggling weapons and ammunition to armed groups overseas, including Russia, though a source confirmed that the DPRK is adhering to a rule that prohibits the sale of newly produced weapons.
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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