North Korea’s New Year’s Threat

Eman Nawab

The year 2023 ended with North Korea issuing various threats. North Korea is just another one of many more countries consistently on the borderline of war. The country’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Un, has ordered his nation to “accelerate war preparations.” This is not the first time that such an order has been issued. The announcement was made during the country’s annual review at the end of December. This review aims to review the progress achieved last year while also planning the upcoming year’s budget and agenda. In the same meeting, Kim urged to quicken the preparations for a possible war. According to Kim, the preparations are essential due to “unprecedented confrontational moves by the US.”

The last weekend of December was rather busy for governmental officials in Pyongyang, the capital city of North Korea. The senior officials drive around in Mercedez and Limousines, which are banned for citizens due to sanctions on luxury goods. Still, they seem accessible to the senior leadership of the country. Every year, a meeting of the party’s central committee. Senior leaders gather to present reports on their work while praising Kim’s policies. Issuing the dictate, Kim called for military readiness like every year he does.
Kim did not issue a specific timeline, but the war, according to him, can break out at any time on the Korean Peninsula.

The meeting was full of discussions about military developments, the launching of spy satellites, the production of drones, and the development of electronic warfare. Kim went on to say that “the United States and its followers have continued to carry out their anti-DPRK (DPRK refers to North Korea’s foreign policies) confrontational tactics in a vicious manner and their recklessness, provocation, and danger have reached an unprecedented level.” It describes the continuous joint US and South Korean military drills as an intentional move to provoke a nuclear war. He clearly stated that North Korea would fight back against the US and its allies as well. The order was issued to three branches, including the military, the military-industrial complex, and the nuclear weapons sector. The country had test-launched a new intercontinental ballistic missile just a week before this annual review meeting.

According to Japanese and South Korean reports, the nuclear missiles can reach any corner of the US. The two staunch American allies have raised concerns over the test. South Korea went as far as launching military drills just in case North Korea decides to launch a surprise attack. However, in his speech, the supreme leader did not seem too concerned about their rival neighbor; instead, they aimed to attack the US. However, he criticized the joint defense cooperation pact between the South and the US. Kim plans to work with allies who agree to counter the US moves to achieve his goal. He stated that he would work on building “strategic cooperation with anti-imperialist, independent countries.”

According to experts, there is a huge probability that he was signaling towards Russia. It could be China as the Chinese president vowed to develop further cooperation relations with Kim, announcing that “the year 2024 will be a year of friendship between the two countries.” Kim met Putin in September of the last year. He has even been suspected of selling weapons to the Russian government for the Ukraine war. This could be an expansion of that relationship. According to reports in the New York Times, Russia also helps North Korea smuggle luxury cars that the country’s officials travel in. The meeting was about the government’s plans for 2024; hence, such discussions were an essential part of it. Not every detail was broadcasted by the North Korean media. Instead, some highlights were shared. It is certain that more policies were announced but have yet to be shared.

The writer is a student of Peace and Conflict Studies at NDU Islamabad.