"Significant Measures to Enhance Artillery Firepower"
Internal Organizational Reforms and Military Management Control
Chairman Kim Jong Un's Public Activity After 22 Days
It was reported by the Korean Central News Agency on the 24th that the 4th Enlarged Meeting of the 7th Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party was held under the chairmanship of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un.
North Korea held the 4th Enlarged Meeting of the 7th Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) chaired by Chairman Kim Jong Un, discussing measures to strengthen nuclear war deterrence.
On the 24th, North Korea's state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported, "The 4th Enlarged Meeting of the 7th Central Military Commission of the WPK was held," adding, "Comrade Kim Jong Un presided over the meeting." The Central Military Commission of the Party is the body that directs all military affairs in North Korea and oversees the entire national defense work. The exact date of the meeting was not disclosed.
The agency stated that at this meeting, "new policies were presented to further strengthen the country's nuclear war deterrence and to operate strategic forces in a highly dynamic state in accordance with the overall requirements for building and developing the national armed forces," but did not specify the details.
It also reported that "significant measures were taken to decisively enhance the firepower strike capability of the Korean People's Army artillery." Chairman Kim had expressed his determination to strengthen artillery forces by personally observing and directing artillery unit training several times since the beginning of the year.
Furthermore, KCNA conveyed that "a series of biases appearing in the military-political activities of the armed forces were comprehensively analyzed and summarized, and issues hindering decisive improvements were reviewed. Problems related to irrational organizational and structural defects in the composition of the armed forces were examined and corrected. Core issues for rapidly developing self-defensive national defense capabilities and organizing new units to further complete military deterrence against threatening external forces were discussed."
Chairman Kim personally signed seven orders, including directives on new military measures, organizational restructuring plans to enhance the responsibilities and roles of important military educational institutions, orders to reorganize the military command system in line with the missions and duties of security agencies, and orders to promote military ranks of commanding officers, KCNA reported.
Personnel changes in the Central Military Commission and senior military leadership were also made at this meeting.
Ri Pyong Chol, a key figure in North Korea's missile development sector and Vice Chairman of the WPK and Minister of the Military-Industrial Complex, was elected as Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission. Chief of the General Staff Pak Jong Chon was promoted to the rank of Chasu (a rank between Marshal and General), making him the only officer currently holding this rank among the military leadership.
Ri Pyong Chol's appointment is analyzed as reflecting North Korea's determination to develop new strategic weapons, which was declared at the end of last year.
Additionally, Chief of the General Staff Pak Jong Chon, formerly an artillery bureau director, was rapidly promoted to Chasu after being appointed Chief of the General Staff, equivalent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in South Korea, in September last year, demonstrating Chairman Kim's trust.
Jong Kyong Taek, Minister of State Security, was promoted to General, which is interpreted as a move to strengthen the role of the State Security Department responsible for public security governance amid North Korea's national blockade situation.
Besides these, under Chairman Kim's orders, promotions were made for 7 Major Generals (three stars), 20 Lieutenant Generals (two stars), and 69 Major Generals (one star) at this meeting.
KCNA reported that the meeting was attended by members of the WPK Central Military Commission, commanders of various branches and corps of the Korean People's Army, members of the State Security Department, the Ministry of People's Security, the Guard Command, and other military organizations, as well as deputy department heads of key departments of the Party Central Committee.
It was reported by the Korean Central News Agency on the 24th that the 4th Enlarged Meeting of the 7th Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party was held under the chairmanship of North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un.
The Enlarged Meeting of the Party Central Military Commission chaired by Chairman Kim was held for the first time in five months since December 22 of last year. Counting from the reporting date, Chairman Kim appeared in public activities again 22 days after his appearance at the completion ceremony of the Suncheon Fertilizer Factory in South Pyongan Province, which was revealed on the 2nd.
Meanwhile, photos released by North Korean state media show that not only Chairman Kim but all attendees did not wear masks despite being in an indoor meeting room. Yang Moo Jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, analyzed, "This demonstrates the seriousness of the military discussions while indirectly boasting that Pyongyang is a COVID-19-free area."
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