The announcement came as part of an address by Kim Jong-Un at the 9th plenary meeting of the 8th central committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.
In that address, which focused on policy directives for the coming year, Kim Jong-Un built on previous statements made several months ago that it was time for a significant investment in weapons production and increased military drills for his nation’s armed forces.
During those previous comments, made in August at the 7th Enlarged Meeting of the 8th Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), Kim referred to recent visits he had made at weapons factories in the country. Based on what he saw, he said the country needed to take immediate action to find ways to manufacture more artillery and missile engines. Out of the public eye he is also said to have pushed for the production of more warheads, mostly non-nuclear but including some of the latest nuclear warhead and advanced Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and Short-Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM) which were already in the pipeline.
At the same August session, Kim also called for more military exercises designed to train the country’s military to more efficiently make use of the developing complexity of weaponry North Korea has been developing at faster rates in recent years with help from Russia and China.
In what appears to be a related move at the time, it was also disclosed at that time Kim had just fired Chief of the General Staff Pak Su Il, possibly because the speed at which he was making changes was not fast enough for Kim.
According to the state-owned media agency KCNA, Kim laid out a series of specific tasks for the nation to build up its “munitions industry, nuclear weapons, and civil defense sectors to accelerate the war preparations”. It said Kim was calling for this as he saw his nation facing “unprecedented confrontational moves” by the United States against it.
These accelerated moves by North Korea come as U.S. intelligence services say the country was already producing weaponry and related supplies at a higher rate, partly as it continues to expand its relations with Russia. It is believed North Korea is helping supply some substantial fraction of arms Russia is currently using in the war with NATO through Ukraine.
Information the CIA and other agencies have tracked says Russia is also now providing more support in training and guidance to North Korea in their weapons development and production. China is also understood to be a part of this equation, but details are less public about its actions regarding North Korea.’
Kim’s call on December 27 to accelerate weapons development, production, deployment, and training arrived just days after a new bipartisan Congressional briefing document issued its most serious public warning to date about precisely how far along North Korea is in its nuclear weapons development. It called out the country’s past success in nuclear weapons tests, recent enhancement of its ability to produce fission-grade plutonium and highly refined uranium to be used in those weapons, more viable and miniaturized nuclear warheads (which enable missiles to carry those warheads farther), improved ICBM range and evasive capabilities (making them more dangerous against American and allied countermeasures deployed against them), and significant improvements in its Short-Range Ballistic Missile tech as well.
Citing a variety of sources, the report referred to Kim Jong-Un’s belief that having a viable nuclear-weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) capability is “the ultimate guarantor of his autocratic rule and has no intention of abandoning those programs, believing that over time he will gain international acceptance as a nuclear power.” With that mindset, the report suggests that not only will Kim stay committed to the development and improvement of these weapons but will also be more prepared than ever to use them if he feels threatened.
Kim also laid out several other objectives at this week’s priority-setting session in addition to the military ones.
One area highlighted in the address as of high importance was “the stabilization of agricultural production on a high level”. Food security has been tough to manage for North Korea for years because of sanctions, lack of access to financial aid, and often from natural disasters such as alternating drought and floods. It worsened significantly during the pandemic years when North Korea’s borders tightened even more.
Crop production in the country reportedly rose in 2023 as weather conditions stabilized and producers were better positioned to respond. Despite that, the total output was still well below what was required to adequately feed its nation.
Kim also told the forum this week that stabilizing and increasing industrial production in multiple areas outside of military areas would be important in 2024.
In most cases, the North Korean Supreme Leader said little about how the governmental policies might assist in achieving the many goals he laid out for the coming year.
Kim called 2024 a “decisive year” for North Korea. If the focus on weapons and a counter to American aggression continues as what appears to be the nation’s top priority for the coming twelve months, expect more weapons development, weapons testing, satellite launches, and tighter collaboration with both Russia and China.
Publisher's Commentary
The U.S. can be counted on to continue to menace North Korea and stage incessant war simulations with corrupt South Korea, and if China decides that it must take Taiwan by force and the U.S. interferes, it can be assured that it will face not just the massive and lethal forces of China but also those of North Korea and that North Korea may not be afraid to nuke American cities, which it can now do with some degree of precision.
Or, if by some bizarre set of circumstances, Americans manage to elect a President who is not subservient to the American war industry and that someone might actually make peace with North Korea by simply issuing a sincere apology for the genocide it committed against the Koreans between 1950 and 1953, remove its forces from South Korea and end any further war simulations, sanctions and threats, there could be peace and no nuclear annihilation.
Donald Trump could have made peace with North Korea when he occupied the White House, was commander in chief of the American military and "fell in love with Kim Jong-Un" but he chose not to. Perhaps because he is really just another product of the deep state that manufactures conflict for profit.