Kim Jong-un Points to 'This Place' in South Korea, Saying "Prepare for War, More Aggressively"

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Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, spread out a map of the South and pointed to the Seoul or Osan Air Base located in the Seoul metropolitan area, instructing to "aggressively accelerate war preparations." This is interpreted as an effort to raise tensions to justify provocations ahead of the upcoming South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises starting on the 21st. North Korea defines the Ulchi Exercise as a 'North invasion war exercise.'

According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 10th, the 7th Enlarged Meeting of the 8th Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, chaired by Chairman Kim, was held the previous day at the Party Central Committee Headquarters. The agency reported that Chairman Kim gave an in-depth overview and analysis of the situation on the Korean Peninsula during the meeting and made a resolute conclusion to aggressively accelerate the military's war preparations.

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un is presiding over an expanded meeting of the Workers' Party Central Military Commission on the 9th, pointing at a map of the South and speaking. At the meeting, Chairman Kim instructed to "aggressively accelerate preparations for war." [Image source=Yonhap News]

Chairman Kim stated, "The basis for realizing the Party Central Committee's military-strategic intent to preemptively suppress the enemy's use of military force and simultaneously annihilate various forms of enemy attacks in the event of war is the preparation of a strong military," adding, "Along with expanding the possession of powerful strike means to fulfill the mission of war deterrence, the work of tactically deploying units in actual combat readiness must be continuously deepened."

He particularly emphasized the 'mission of military supply factories,' ordering, "All factories and enterprises in the military supply industry must vigorously push forward the mass production struggle of various armed equipment to meet the operational demands of the modernizing military." Photos released that day showed Chairman Kim spreading out a map of the Republic of Korea and pointing to the Seoul and Osan Air Base areas in the Seoul metropolitan region while speaking.

The agency stated, "(At the meeting) we analyzed the military provocations of the main culprits worsening the situation that destroys peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula region and decided on offensive military countermeasures to thoroughly check them," adding, "We deliberated on the formation plan and operational missions of strengthened frontline operational groups to overwhelmingly suppress and annihilate the enemy with firm military strategic, tactical, and military power superiority in case of emergency."

Chairman Kim personally signed the order regarding the military measures decided that day. The agency particularly explained, "(The Party Central Military Commission) disseminated important military action guidelines according to the expanded and changed operational areas and operational plans of the frontline units." This is presumed to mean changes in the operational zones, plans, and missions of North Korean frontline units, but specific details were not disclosed.

North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is presiding over the enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party on the 9th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

North Korea's recent meeting is interpreted as targeting the 'Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS)' exercise, which will be conducted in conjunction with the South Korea-U.S. joint exercises from the 21st to the 24th. Considering the movements of South Korea and the United States as 'enemy attack actions' and preparing countermeasures is seen as shifting the responsibility for tension onto the South Korea-U.S. alliance and building justification for provocations. North Korea has long defined the Ulchi Exercise as a 'North invasion war exercise.'

Furthermore, North Korea has consecutively held enlarged meetings of the Party Central Military Commission in February, March, and April this year to discuss issues related to war readiness. Holding meetings more frequently than the usual roughly half-year cycle is interpreted as reflecting North Korea's perception of the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Meanwhile, North Korea dismissed General Pak Su Il from the position of Chief of the General Staff and appointed Lieutenant General Ri Yong Gil as his successor. Pak Su Il was promoted to Chief of the General Staff at the Party Plenary Meeting at the end of last year, six months after being appointed Minister of Social Security, but suddenly stepped down after seven months. Ri Yong Gil is returning after being dismissed as Chief of the General Staff in 2019. North Korea also announced plans to hold a 'civilian armed forces parade' to mark the 75th anniversary of the regime's founding (September 9th).

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