Emphasizing 'War Mission' to Gather People's Army Officers
Criticizing US Support for Ukraine Without Mentioning North Korean Troop Deployment
"Nuclear Force Strengthening, Must Achieve Perfect Operational Readiness"
Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, gathered military officers and ordered 'war preparations.' He condemned the United States' support for Ukraine and even mentioned the possibility of a 'Third World War.' This is interpreted as a justification for the internationally criticized 'nuclear force enhancement' policy and the deployment of troops to Russia.
According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 18th, Chairman Kim stated in a speech at the 4th Battalion Commanders and Battalion Political Instructors Conference held in Pyongyang on the 15th, "The more intense the United States' anti-Republic confrontation agitation becomes, the more clearly confirmed is the legitimacy of our efforts and actions to safeguard the country's security and regional peace."
He argued, "War is never someone else's business nor a distant future event," and "The war that the United States and the West are waging by using Ukraine as a spearhead against Russia should be seen as a war to thoroughly increase real combat experience and expand the scope of military intervention worldwide." He added, "The nuclear force enhancement policy has long become an irreversible policy for us," and "What remains is only to establish a more perfect operational posture so that nuclear forces can immediately fulfill their mission of war deterrence and their secondary mission."
This speech mainly consisted of criticism aimed at the United States. It presented the logic that North Korea's nuclear development is justified because U.S. intervention in Europe and the Middle East has increased the threat of war. Although he did not mention Donald Trump by name, this is the first time North Korea has directly criticized the U.S. since the presidential election.
In particular, he claimed that many countries are being dragged into war due to U.S. support for Ukraine and Israel, stating, "The international security situation is increasing anxiety that a Third World War could break out." However, he did not mention at all the fact that North Korean soldiers are currently participating in the conflict.
Chairman Kim also defined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as "the military forces of the U.S. imperialists and their follower countries," saying, "It would not be surprising if military alliances like NATO appear in the Korean Peninsula region." He then reiterated, "Completing war preparations is an urgent task that cannot be postponed even for a single day."
North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un is delivering a speech at the 4th Battalion Commanders and Battalion Political Officers Conference held in Pyongyang on the 15th. Photo by Yonhap News
The Battalion Commanders and Battalion Political Instructors Conference is being held for the first time in 10 years since the 3rd conference in November 2014. The 1st conference in 1953 and the 2nd conference in 2006 were attended by President Kim Il-sung and Chairman Kim Jong-il, respectively. Battalion commanders in the Korean People's Army typically hold the rank of captain or major (equivalent to a South Korean army major), and battalion political instructors are political officers responsible for the ideological education of soldiers. Chairman Kim has thus directly engaged in control and ideological guidance work by gathering mid-level officers.
Although the timing was earlier, this speech was made public after the United States lifted the 'missile use restrictions' on Ukraine. On the 17th (local time), U.S. President Joe Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied surface-to-surface missiles to strike targets inside Russia. This is seen as a response to North Korea's troop deployment and a measure to strengthen Ukraine's negotiating power before the Trump administration took office.
Meanwhile, the missile expected to target Russian mainland is the ATACMS, which has a range of about 300 km. According to major foreign media citing U.S. officials, it is reported that the missile is likely to be used not only against targets inside Russia but also against Russian and North Korean troops deployed in the western Kursk region.
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