北韩领导人金正日在北韩与韩国发生边境冲突以后不久，敦促海军要发展壮大。北韩官方中央新闻社星期五报导，金正日参观了海军某部队的司令部，但并没有说明金正日明视察的具体地点和确切时间。韩国联合通讯社说，该海军部队似乎在位于北韩西南部的海港城市南浦。
金正日在北韩国防委员会副委员长金永春和一些高级军官的陪同下视察了海军部队，并观看了海军的训练。金正日赞扬北韩海军是“不可战胜的战士”。他说，北韩的国防部队坚不可摧。过去十年，北韩曾与韩国在黄海海域爆发过两次致命的海军冲突。
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Il, has urged the country’s navy to strengthen its forces following a recent border skirmish with South Korea. The North’s official Central News Agency reported Friday that Mr. Kim had visited the command of a navy unit (587), but did not say where and when the visit took place. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said the unit appears to be stationed in the southwestern port city of Nampo.
Defense minister Kim Yong-Chun and top military officers accompanied Mr. Kim as he inspected the navy unit and attended a training session. Mr. Kim praised North Korean seamen as “indomitable fighters” and said their defense ranks have made the country “impregnable.” In the past decade, North Korea has fought two deadly naval battles with South Korea in the Yellow Sea.