North Korea: "If We Had Not Strengthened Our Defense Capabilities, War Would Have Already Broken Out on the Korean Peninsula"

Continued Attempts to Justify Military Provocations and Exercises

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, observed a tactical guided weapon test firing on the 21st, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 22nd.

North Korea, which has recently conducted a series of military exercises, claimed on the 28th that their actions are self-defensive military drills and that if they had not strengthened their national defense, a war would have already broken out on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea's external propaganda outlet, Meori, targeted South Korea, which criticized North Korea's recent military exercises, in an article titled "Nonsense that Distorts the Truth," stating, "It is truly shameless nonsense that distorts the essence of the tension on the Korean Peninsula to blame our Republic in a brazen manner."

The outlet questioned, "Isn't it the South Korean military that has relentlessly carried out military provocations that undermine the stability of the Korean Peninsula, even this year following last year?" It further claimed, "The South Korean military openly advertises its ambition to massively import advanced war equipment from the United States, including stealth fighters and high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, and frequently meets with U.S. military leaders to plot war scenarios."

It added, "If it were not for the epidemic situation that struck South Korea, large-scale joint military exercises would be in full swing by now," and stated, "Clearly, the more persistently one criticizes self-defensive military exercises that any country conducts, the more the dark intentions of South Korea's militaristic forces and politicians are revealed."

Meori emphasized, "Frankly speaking, if our Republic had not strengthened its national defense, war would have already broken out on the Korean Peninsula, and there is no one with normal reasoning who does not know this fact."

Kim Yo-jong, the first deputy director of the Workers' Party and younger sister of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un, expressed shock at the Blue House's concerns over North Korea's joint strike drill, reported by the Korean Central News Agency on the 3rd.

In a statement titled "Expressing Shock at the Blue House's Incompetent Way of Thinking" released that night, Kim Yo-jong referred to the People's Army's frontline long-range artillery unit's firepower combat training held the previous day, saying, "We did not conduct the training to threaten anyone," and clarified it was at a self-defensive level. The photo shows Kim Yo-jong accompanying Kim Jong-un during his visit to Vietnam on March 2, 2019, paying respects at the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum. Photo by Kim Jung-hwan

North Korea has recently reiterated that their military exercises are conducted in opposition to South Korea and the United States and are indispensable for national defense.

Kim Yo-jong, First Deputy Director of the Workers' Party, issued a debut statement titled "Expressing Shock at the Blue House's Incompetent Way of Thinking" on the 3rd, emphasizing that the People's Army's frontline long-range artillery unit's firepower combat training the previous day was self-defensive in nature, and harshly criticized the Blue House for expressing strong concerns.

She showed a nervous reaction, saying, "We are the ones who should express 'strong regret' at the Blue House's illogical and incompetent thinking that concludes with the logic that we must conduct military exercises but you must not."