No Provocative External Messages and Small Training Scale
"Aimed at Alleviating Residents' Security Concerns and Boosting Military Morale
Focus on Actively Advancing the Economy-Centered Direct Breakthrough Line" Evaluation
North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un supervised a joint strike exercise of the People's Army unit on the 28th, the North Korean Workers' Party organ Rodong Sinmun reported on the 29th.
North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un supervised a joint strike exercise of the People's Army units on the 28th. However, there were no provocative messages directed at South Korea or the United States, and the scale of the exercise was not large. It is evaluated as a move to manage the domestic and international situation by alleviating residents' security concerns and boosting the military's morale.
North Korea's state media, Korean Central News Agency, reported on the 29th that "Comrade Kim Jong Un guided the joint strike exercise of the People's Army units on February 28," adding that "the exercise was conducted with the purpose of assessing the mobility and firepower strike capabilities of the frontline and eastern district defense units and practicing the command of joint strikes among military branches."
Chairman Kim observed and guided the exercise directly from the observation post, and officials from the Party Central Committee also observed the exercise on site. It is known that the North Korean military conducted this exercise around the Wonsan area. The North Korean military conducts branch-specific exercises followed by joint strike exercises, and the site where Chairman Kim supervised appears to be such an exercise.
The news agency reported that "the supreme leader comrade was greeted by the command members of the Korean People's Army and the commanders of the large combined units participating in the exercise," and that soldiers from the frontline and eastern district defense units, navy, air force, and anti-aircraft forces participated in the exercise.
It continued, "The supreme leader expressed admiration for the combat readiness of the military branch units and the frontline and eastern district defense units, which are fully prepared to enter combat immediately upon any order at any time, and sent a combat salute to all People's Army soldiers participating in the exercise, giving special thanks as the supreme commander."
Additionally, Chairman Kim expressed "a firm conviction that the People's Army, infinitely loyal to the Party's call, will continuously strengthen its combat power and firmly guarantee the revolutionary cause of Juche and the victorious advance of socialism with invincible military strength."
Chairman Kim's public appearance came 13 days after North Korean media reported on the 16th that he paid respects at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang to mark the 78th anniversary of the birth of his father, Kim Jong Il, the former National Defense Commission Chairman (Kwangmyongsong Day, February 16).
Since the end of last month, when the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) originating in China began to spread internationally, Chairman Kim has refrained from public activities.
North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un supervised a joint strike exercise of the People's Army unit on the 28th, the North Korean Workers' Party organ newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on the 29th.
The fact that Chairman Kim observed this exercise despite COVID-19 appears to be aimed at alleviating residents' anxiety about infection within North Korea and strengthening internal unity.
Professor Kim Dong-yeop of the Far East Institute at Gyeongnam National University said, "(Regarding this exercise) the report and the content of the exercise are characterized by the absence of provocative expressions compared to past winter national-level comprehensive evaluation exercises and by a smaller scale."
He assessed that although North Korea moderated the level of this exercise, it is difficult to interpret it as a signal to resume dialogue.
Professor Kim analyzed, "It is an intention of situation management to conduct military exercises as a self-defense measure supporting the economic-centered frontal breakthrough campaign, alleviating people's security concerns and boosting military morale, while conducting military exercises to an extent that does not interfere with the all-out economic line."
Professor Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies also interpreted that "the absence of provocative expressions toward South Korea and the United States during the on-site guidance of the strike exercise indicates an intention to show a will for a military frontal breakthrough through the winter exercise, while placing emphasis on situation management rather than preemptive military demonstrations."
Furthermore, there is an interpretation that the joint strike exercise, which corresponds to a response to the postponed South Korea-U.S. joint exercises, was conducted earlier.
Meanwhile, on April 25, 2017, the 85th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army, North Korea held the largest-ever joint strike exercise among military branches, which Chairman Kim also observed.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
