Increased Military Activities of Kim Jong-un... During the ROK-US Joint Exercises?

Unification Research Institute, "Tripled Compared to Last Winter"

Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, has increased his public activities in the military sector. With the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise ‘Freedom Shield’ (FS) starting on the 4th, these activities are expected to increase further.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to a report released by the Korea Institute for National Unification on the 6th, Kim Jong-un’s public activities during last winter (December 2023 to February 2024) totaled 31. This represents an approximately 31% increase compared to the average of 23.7 public activities during the previous three winters. In particular, military-related activities numbered 11, which is three times the average of 3.7 during the past three winters.

Senior Research Fellow Kim Gap-sik and Research Fellow Jang Cheol-woon stated, "There were 8 public activities in the military sector during January and February this year," adding, "This move is connected to Kim Jong-un’s statement at the end of last year describing inter-Korean relations as ‘hostile relations between two states, and relations between warring parties at war.’"

During this winter, Chairman Kim’s public activities in the economic sector also increased to 5, compared to the average of 2 during the previous three winters. This is attributed to the emphasis on the ‘20×10 Local Development Policy.’ The report analyzed that, due to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, the frequency of public activities by not only Chairman Kim but also Premier Kim Deok-hoon and other members of the Workers’ Party Political Bureau Standing Committee has generally increased significantly.

Kim’s military activities are expected to continue increasing for the time being. North Korea has characterized the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise ‘Freedom Shield’ (FS), which began on the 4th, as "a frenzied war exercise by the South Korean puppet forces and their followers under U.S. leadership."

A spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense stated in a commentary, "The Korean People’s Army of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will continue responsible military activities to strongly control the unstable security environment in the Korean Peninsula region."