North Korean leader Kim Jong-un delivers a speech during the 4th Conference of the North Korean Army's Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors in Pyongyang on Nov. 15, in this photo provided by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Monday. Yonhap
The Unification Ministry in Seoul suggested Monday that the North Korean leader's directive for full war readiness -- alongside his framing of the Ukraine war as the start of global military intervention by the US and the West -- was likely intended to quell probable dissent in North Korea over the regime’s deployment of troops to support Russia in Ukraine.
Kim Jong-un issued the order and delivered his speech on Nov. 15, the final day of the two-day 4th Conference of Battalion Commanders and Political Instructors of the Korean People’s Army, according to a report from North Korean state media released Monday. Such conferences have been held only three times previously, in 1953, 2006, and most recently in November 2014.
Kim told the attendees that, "War is by no means someone else's concern, nor is it a distant future matter," according to a Korean-language report from state media.
"We must view the war that the US and the West are waging against Russia, using Ukraine as the vanguard, as a war intended to thoroughly build real combat experience and expand the scope of military intervention worldwide," Kim said while making no comment on North Korean troop deployments.
"All levels of our armed forces must thoroughly direct and subordinate every activity to war preparations and devote themselves fully to achieving swift completion."
Kim also reiterated that "We will continuously, without limits or satisfaction, strengthen the country's self-defense capabilities, centered on nuclear power," while underscoring the importance of bolstering nuclear capabilities to fulfill "war deterrence" and second-strike missions.
Kim's speech marked his first direct message targeting the US since the re-election of former President Donald Trump at the event attended by key military officials, including Defense Minister No Kwang-chol and Chief of the KPA's General Staff Ri Yong-gil.
Vice Unification Minister Kim Soo-kyung speaks on Monday during a press briefing assessing the halfway point of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s unification and North Korea policy and outlining the way forward. Yonhap
A senior Unification Ministry official said Monday that Kim's speech aimed to affirm the legitimacy of Russia’s war in Ukraine and to justify North Korea’s deployment of troops to the battlefield in Ukraine.
"Overall, these remarks appear aimed not only at quelling any military or internal unrest regarding North Korea's dispatch of troops against Ukraine, but also at fostering hostility (toward the US and West) within the military and broader North Korean society," the official said on condition of anonymity during a press briefing assessing the halfway point of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s unification and North Korea policy and outlining the way forward.
The US State Department confirmed on Nov. 12 that most of the 10,000-plus North Korean soldiers have joined Russian forces in combat against Ukraine in Kursk Oblast.
However, the North Korean authorities have kept the deployment from the public. In late October, South Korea’s spy agency informed the National Assembly that the Kim Jong-un regime has been implementing internal security measures to curb related rumors.
"Furthermore, North Korea reaffirmed its unwavering stance on nuclear policy, signaling a firm commitment to its nuclear weapons in the event of potential dialogue," the unnamed official added.
The official, however, downplayed rising concerns that the Yoon administration could be sidelined in President-elect Donald Trump’s anticipated North Korea policy, which many expect to echo his first-term, top-down approach centered on leader-level diplomacy.
The official noted that the global security landscape facing a second-term Trump administration is markedly different from 2017-2021, with North Korea now deploying troops against Ukraine, among other new challenges.
"The situation is quite different from the first term, making it unlikely for the US to extend a highly conciliatory gesture to initiate dialogue with North Korea," the official said.
The official added that “the alliance has been significantly strengthened” under the Biden administration, with bipartisan support creating a context distinct from Trump’s first term.
“It’s hard to predict with certainty, but considering the overall international geopolitical order and the changed context compared to the first term, it will not be easy for North Korea to bypass South Korea and engage in dialogue,” the official said.
The official also underscored the Yoon administration's commitment to a bottom-up strategy in inter-Korean dialogue that prioritizes substantive, working-level negotiations, pointing out the drawbacks and side effects of a top-down approach in inter-Korean and North Korean nuclear issues.
"If a leader’s stance shifts, summit outcomes could quickly unravel or even deteriorate beyond their original state," the official said. "To prevent dialogues driven by showmanship, our emphasis should be on working-level discussions that yield concrete results, with a preference for a bottom-up approach."
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