Kim Jong-un Sends 'Olympic' Congratulatory Message to Xi Jinping... Will He Also Refrain from Military Provocations?

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Kim Jong-un, General Secretary of the Workers' Party, sent a congratulatory message to Xi Jinping, President of China, on the occasion of the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics on the 4th, praising it as a "great victory achieved by socialist China" and emphasizing North Korea-China friendship. Experts analyzed that North Korea is likely to refrain from provocations such as missile launches during the Olympics.

According to the Korean Central News Agency, General Secretary Kim stated in the congratulatory message on the day, "On behalf of the Workers' Party of Korea, the Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and the Korean people, I warmly congratulate the 24th Winter Olympic Games held in Beijing."

General Secretary Kim described this Olympics as "a grand event first encountered in the first year of the new century-long journey to realize the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation by the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people," and "a joint congratulatory message from all the peoples and athletes of the world who aspire to peace, friendship, and unity." In particular, he praised the opening of the Beijing Olympics "amid a global health crisis and an unprecedentedly severe environment" as "another great victory achieved by socialist China." He also emphasized the friendship between the two countries, stating, "In the struggle to defend and advance our common cause, the DPRK-China relationship has been forged into an invincible strategic relationship that cannot be broken by anything."

Experts forecast that since General Secretary Kim emphasized 'peace and friendship' in this congratulatory message, North Korea will likely refrain from military provocations during the Olympics. Hong Min, head of the North Korea Research Division at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said, "Having sent a congratulatory message, the possibility of actions that would disrupt the peaceful atmosphere is low," and predicted, "Provocative actions will be restrained during the Olympics."