National Veterans' Conference Ahead of July 27 Ceasefire Agreement Day
Highlighting Veterans' Spirit of Sacrifice and Patriotism to Strengthen Internal Unity
North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un visited the construction site of the Kwangcheon Chicken Factory in Hwangju County, Hwanghaebuk-do, the Korean Central News Agency reported on the 23rd. Chairman Kim, still not wearing a mask, is smiling in front of the building under construction.
On the 27th, marking the 67th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, North Korea is intensifying patriotic fervor and strengthening regime unity by holding a nationwide veterans' meeting for the first time in two years.
On the 25th, the Workers' Party organ newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported in an article titled "The whole country is filled with great excitement and joy," stating, "In Pyongyang, in the provinces, workplaces, and homes, a celebratory atmosphere overflows for the war veterans participating in the meeting under the special love of our Party."
It continued, "Everywhere, the veterans' meeting is the topic of conversation," describing the excited atmosphere as "bustling as if welcoming a holiday and thrilled as if caring for one's own parents." The veterans were praised as "excellent revolutionary seniors" and "educators," emphasizing their patriotism.
The nationwide veterans' meeting is an event held to commemorate North Korea's 'Day of Victory in the Fatherland Liberation War' (Armistice Agreement Day, July 27). Although the exact date of the event has not been disclosed, based on past precedents, it is expected to be held before the Armistice Agreement Day.
The meeting was first held in 1993 (the 40th anniversary) during the rule of Kim Jong-il, and under Kim Jong-un's leadership, it was held in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2018.
North Korea's decision to hold the nationwide veterans' meeting after two years is interpreted as an attempt to recall the sacrifice and patriotism of war veterans and to strengthen internal unity amid concerns over public discontent due to economic difficulties.
While July 27, the day the armistice was signed, is called Armistice Day in South Korea, North Korea distorts it as "the day of victory over the United States" and uses it for propaganda purposes.
According to testimonies from defectors, North Korea teaches in middle and high school textbooks as well as in kindergartens that "the imperialist coalition led by the United States admitted defeat in the 'Korean War,' knelt down, and signed the armistice agreement."
In particular, the 2013 revised first-year high school textbook "The Revolutionary History of the Great Leader Kim Il-sung" states about the armistice agreement, "The U.S. imperialist aggressors, who boasted of being the world's strongest, knelt before the Korean People's Army strengthened by the Songun (military-first) policy and our people, and stamped the armistice agreement," adding, "Thus, the fiercely intense three-year-long Fatherland Liberation War ended in a brilliant victory for our people."
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