North Korea Fears 'Washington Declaration'... 'Burning Ceremony' Targeting South Korea-US Leaders

Unprecedented 'Burning Ceremony' in Response to US-ROK Extended Deterrence Criticism
"Proof of Crisis... Provocation After Accumulating Justification for Nuclear Development"

North Korea condemned the 'Washington Declaration' and even held an unprecedented effigy burning ceremony targeting the South Korean and U.S. leaders. Analysts interpret this as an expression of hostility toward the strengthening of the U.S.-South Korea extended deterrence measures and an attempt to justify its nuclear development.

On the 3rd, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) published an article titled "Carrying Out an Effigy Burning Ceremony Against the Ugly Enemies," stating, "The U.S. imperialists and their puppet traitorous factions, who have systematically expanded their invasion war exercises targeting our Republic, are recklessly raging to invade our country, making a dangerous nuclear war a foregone conclusion." It added, "On the 2nd, a meeting of youth and students' revenge resolutions was held at the Sinchon Museum to resolutely punish the gangster state of evil, the United States, which brazenly revealed its anti-Republic nuclear war plans, and the puppet traitorous factions obsessed with confrontation among compatriots."

North Korea's Kim Jong-un

The report claimed, "The participants, filled with a thousandfold will for retaliation, carried out an effigy burning ceremony, setting fire to the effigies of the invaders and provocateurs with the determination to bring death to the hateful enemies," and added, "The more the ugly figures of the old war monster America and its top henchman, the puppet traitor, turned to ashes, the hotter the heat of punishment became." Although the target symbolized by the effigy was not explicitly mentioned, the "old war monster" appears to refer to U.S. President Joe Biden, and the "top henchman" to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.

The media quoted remarks from participants at the event, disparaging President Yoon's state visit and expressing extreme dissatisfaction with the 'Washington Declaration,' which includes the agreed measures to strengthen extended deterrence between South Korea and the U.S. One participant described the Washington Declaration as "the criminal ambition of those whose hostility toward us is ingrained to the bone," while another stated, "The increasingly reckless hostile intentions of the U.S. imperialists and their puppets clearly demonstrate how justified the measures to strengthen national defense centered on nuclear forces are."

North Korea has been holding rallies condemning the joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises and fostering anti-South hostility throughout society this year, but this is the first time it has conducted an effigy burning ceremony. Notably, on the 29th of last month, Kim Yo-jong, the younger sister of Kim Jong-un and vice department director of the Workers' Party, issued a statement opposing the adoption of the Washington Declaration. At that time, Kim Yo-jong insulted President Biden as an "old man with no future" and President Yoon as a "foolish person who is grateful to receive an empty declaration." She also mentioned the establishment of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), claiming it "provided an environment for decisive action."

In February this year, the US nuclear-powered attack submarine Springfield (SSN 761, 6,000-ton class) docked at the Naval Operations Command Busan Base.

Analysts suggest that North Korea's strong opposition to the U.S.-South Korea extended deterrence measures is both an effort to accumulate justification for its nuclear development and an indication of its sense of crisis regarding the Washington Declaration. Cho Han-bum, senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, evaluated, "The docking of U.S. strategic nuclear submarines and strategic nuclear bombers in the Korean Peninsula, as stipulated in the Washington Declaration, is an agreement beyond North Korea's expectations," adding, "It seems North Korea is reacting quite sensitively to the U.S.-South Korea response that surpasses and offsets North Korea's nuclear deterrent capabilities."

There are also forecasts that North Korea will soon resume provocations, including the already announced military reconnaissance satellite launch. Jung Sung-jang, head of the Unification Strategy Research Office at the Sejong Institute, said, "Especially the opposition from Kim Yo-jong and others to the Washington Declaration suggests a policy of responding to South Korea with an ultra-hardline stance," and predicted, "Against the U.S., North Korea will respond with nuclear torpedo drills aimed at solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches and nuclear submarine deployments, and against South Korea, with tactical nuclear weapons use drills simulating full-scale war."

Meanwhile, in preparation for North Korea's provocations, including the military reconnaissance satellite launch, the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet Aegis destroyer USS John Finn arrived at the Pyeongtaek Naval Base at the end of last month. Japan, strengthening trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, has completed the deployment of Patriot (PAC-3) surface-to-air guided missiles on three islands in Okinawa Prefecture. Additionally, there are observations that the U.S. strategic nuclear submarine (SSBN), presented as one of the key measures to strengthen extended deterrence in the Washington Declaration, could be deployed to the Korean Peninsula as early as this month.

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