Inspectors composed of officials from the Organization and Guidance Department and the Defense Industry Department have been conducting inspections of weapons factories affiliated with the Second Economic Committee since the beginning of this month, Daily NK has learned.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, a Daily NK source in North Korea said on Wednesday that “the Central Committee’s inspection of the ammunition factories affiliated with the Second Economic Committee, which have been carrying out emergency additional production plans since last June, began on Mar. 2,” adding that the inspections of weapons factories are “a party and government measure to correct problems in emergency additional production through an intermediate inspection of the general production activities in the plants.”
That is, the inspectors are examining how the factories have been implementing the plan for emergency additional production of weapons and combat technology hardware since last June, and are conducting an interim inspection in the form of a “campaign” focused on devising measures to solve problems that have arisen in production on the ground.
Central Committee inspectors have been on the ground since Mar. 2 for a 10-day inspection.
When asked which factories the inspectors had been sent to, the source said they had been sent to “a tank and armored vehicle factory in Panghyon district of Kusong and Munitions Factory 71 in Taechon County, both in North Pyongan Province.”
Munitions Factory 71 produces various tactical missiles and artillery shells.
The source said both factories are affiliated with the Second Economic Committee and have been implementing plans for additional new models of tanks, armored vehicles, various tactical missiles and artillery shells since the middle of last year.
He told Daily NK that “since the emergency additional production order was issued in the middle of last year, the factories have been producing an additional quota beyond the original one. The latest inspections of weapons factories is an interim one to secure the additional quotas.”
The source added that factory workers and officials on the ground believe that the inspections and checks will be more demanding than ever “because an order directly from Kim Jong Un was issued last year calling on factories to stand up straight, tighten their belts and secure the state’s additional quota for the munitions industry en masse from an autonomous position.”
In fact, the source predicted that if the inspectors find problems with the party, administrative and technical officials in charge of the factories, they could be replaced on the spot. Perhaps as a result, there is a widespread feeling among factory workers that they must remain on edge until the last day of the inspections.
“The inspectors spend 7 AM to 11 PM asking for the documents they need, or visiting departments and production sites to hold surprise talks with mid-level officials and workers while checking on the general state of affairs in the factories. That’s why everyone takes as much care as possible to prevent problems from occurring during the inspection period.”
Translated by David Black. Edited by Robert Lauler.
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