The Fourth Joint Editorial Since Kim Jong-un's Rise: "Break Through Sanctions Head-On with Baekdusan Spirit"

"America Trying to Crush Our Sovereignty, Right to Survival, and Right to Development"
"Hostile Forces Desperately Trying to Trample Everything We Have"
"Living with Sanctions, Let Us Raise the Banner of Self-Reliance"

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un visited the Suncheon Fertilizer Factory in Suncheon City, South Pyongan Province, as his first local guidance schedule of the new year, according to a report by Korean Central Television on the 7th. The photo is a capture from Korean Central Television, showing a placard with slogans such as "Self-Reliance" behind Chairman Kim. Photo by Korean Central Television

On the 21st, North Korea urged to overcome the current difficulties caused by sanctions against it with the "Baekdusan Attack Spirit" through a joint editorial published under the names of the Workers' Party organ Rodong Sinmun and the monthly political theory magazine Geunroja. While the message itself is consistent with North Korea's recent propaganda on self-reliance and frontal breakthrough, the relatively rare format of a joint editorial by Rodong Sinmun and Geunroja appears to have heightened tensions within North Korea.

In the joint editorial titled "Let Us Break Through the Created Crisis with the Baekdusan Attack Spirit," Rodong Sinmun called for a frontal breakthrough, stating, "If we are to confidently open the path to victory in the Juche revolutionary cause by overcoming today's trials and difficulties, we must live and struggle with the Baekdusan Attack Spirit."

The editorial repeatedly emphasized that the target of the frontal breakthrough is the U.S. and the international community's sanctions against North Korea centered on the U.S. It stated, "Today's frontal breakthrough battle is a fierce confrontation with the U.S. and its followers who seek to crush our sovereignty, right to survival, and right to development," adding, "The enemies are now making their last desperate efforts to trample and seize all our precious things."

It went on to express distrust toward the U.S., saying, "The U.S. babbles about continuous dialogue on the surface but behind our backs is blatantly escalating provocative political, military, and economic schemes to completely strangle and crush our Republic."

The editorial noted, "The century-long confrontation between Korea and the U.S. has now been condensed into a confrontation between self-reliance and sanctions," and added, "The current situation confirms that we must continue to live under sanctions imposed by hostile forces and that we must raise the banner of self-reliance even higher."

This is the fourth joint editorial published by Rodong Sinmun and Geunroja since Kim Jong Un took power. The first joint editorial after his inauguration was released on March 25, 2017, titled "Our Style of Socialist Victory is Science," marking the first such editorial in 17 years since April 2002 during Kim Jong Il's regime.

Following the Panmunjom meeting on June 30 last year, North Korea consecutively published joint editorials titled "Self-Reliance is the Eternal Lifeline of the Korean Revolution" (July 13, 2019) and "Our Republic Will Prosper Eternally as a Dignified Nation of the People" (September 6, 2019).

Meanwhile, North Korean media have been continuously issuing messages to mobilize residents since Chairman Kim Jong Un proposed a "frontal breakthrough" based on economic development through self-reliance and strengthening national defense at the 5th Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee of the Workers' Party at the end of last year.

In its editorial on the same day, Rodong Sinmun emphasized, "We must become a hundred million times stronger to the point that imperialism will never dare to challenge us again and be thrown into the abyss of destruction," adding, "Our great people, who are strengthening their Juche power and internal motivation a hundredfold amid trials, have made the best choice for self-reliant prosperity and self-reliant development."

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