North Korea Urges "Tighten Your Belts Again" Instead of "White Rice with Meat Soup"

After Kim Jong-un's Rise to Power, He Broke Promises to Residents
"Don't Wait for Sanctions Relief, Launch a Direct Offensive"
"Continuously Develop Strategic Weapons to Ensure Safety and Dignity"

North Korea issued postage stamps to mark the New Year of Juche 109 (2020), according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 1st. The agency stated, "The stamps demonstrate the firm determination of the Korean people to vigorously continue the Chollima Speed Creation Movement by firmly grasping self-reliance and science and technology as their sword, and to accelerate the building of a socialist power." The stamps depict workers riding the Chollima holding a flag inscribed with the words "Self-Reliance," along with an image symbolizing the Science and Technology Hall.

North Korea is repeatedly urging its people to tighten their belts once again, emphasizing the difficult external environment. Chairman Kim had promised last year "meat soup with rice" and, at the beginning of his rule, vowed "never to tighten the belt again," but he has now completely reversed these statements.

On the 5th, the Workers' Party of Korea's official newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, emphasized that they should not expect the lifting of U.S. sanctions and must carry out a "direct breakthrough" through self-reliance and weapons development.

In an editorial titled "The Direct Breakthrough is an Era Task That Must Be Carried Out," the newspaper stated that at the Party plenary meeting held from the 28th to the 31st of last month, it was emphasized that "the ideology and strategy of the direct breakthrough must be thoroughly implemented," and "even now, having clearly understood the true intentions of the United States, there is absolutely no need to hesitate with any expectations such as the lifting of sanctions."

The content about abandoning expectations for dialogue with the U.S. and launching a "direct breakthrough" through strong military power and self-reliance was included in the report on the Party plenary meeting results, and since then, various North Korean media, including Rodong Sinmun, have consistently propagated this through editorials and commentaries.

Chairman Kim said at the 7th Central Committee's 5th plenary meeting held from December 28 to 31 last year at the Party Central Committee headquarters, "Even if we have to tighten our belts, our firm revolutionary belief is to achieve self-reliant strength and prosperity to protect the dignity of the country and defeat imperialism."

This reverses Kim's statement at the April 15, 2012 military parade celebrating the 100th birthday of President Kim Il-sung, early in his rule, where he said, "I will make sure our people never have to tighten their belts again."

Additionally, in a letter sent to the "2nd National Party Junior Propagandists Conference" held in Pyongyang on March 6 last year, Kim used the expression "white rice with meat soup" for the first time since taking power. In the letter, Kim said, "The lifelong wish of the Great Leader (Kim Il-sung) and the Dear Leader (Kim Jong-il) is for all the people to eat white rice with meat soup, wear silk clothes, and live in good houses."

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un presided over the 5th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party at the Central Committee Headquarters on the 31st of last month, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 1st.

However, in 2020, the people were once again forced to endure severe sacrifices.

The newspaper said on the day, "The main obstacle blocking the advance and development of our revolution today is the hostile forces' schemes to crush the Republic," and criticized, "The United States, while talking about dialogue, is further exposing provocative political, military, and economic plots to completely suffocate and crush our Republic."

In particular, despite North Korea taking "preemptive major measures" such as suspending intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches and closing the Dongchang-ri nuclear test site, the U.S. continued joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises, brought advanced weapons into South Korea, and maintained economic sanctions, "once again proving before the world that its ambition to crush our system remains unchanged," the article stated.

It continued, "The true intention of the United States is... to gain political and diplomatic benefits while continuing sanctions to gradually consume and weaken our strength," and argued that continuous development of strategic weapons is necessary to guarantee the nation's safety and dignity.

Furthermore, it acknowledged, "Our economy is insufficient to nullify the sanctions and pressure from hostile forces and to lead and drive the grand cause of building an economic powerhouse and improving people's lives through self-reliance and self-strengthening," and pointed out that "the urgent task at this time is economic construction," emphasizing that a direct breakthrough in the economic sector must also be achieved.

The newspaper reiterated, "The behavior of imperialists is to be servile before the strong and cruel before the weak," and stressed, "Our Juche-based strength must overwhelm the hostile forces to completely collapse the anti-DPRK hostile policy and end the enemies' threats and intimidation."

It then urged all Party members and workers to "fulfill their responsibilities and duties in today's direct breakthrough to completely destroy the enemies' sanctions and blockade schemes through the power of self-reliance."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.