Kim Jong-un calls to strengthen defensive capabilities in North Korean plenary

The North Korean leader Kim Jong Uncalled for reinforcing “national defense capabilities” in the face of the “worsening” of the situation on the Korean peninsula, during the Workers’ Party plenary session that ended the day before.

Kim launched this message at the close of this key meeting to decide organizational issues and political priorities of the regime held at a time marked by the upturn in tensions in the region and by the wave of possible covid-19 infections in the North, according to state media pick up this Saturday.

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North Korean dictator “highlighted the need to continuously direct great efforts to reinforce national defensive capabilities”, and also referred to the “severe health crisis” caused by the coronavirus, before which he requested “remedy the shortcomings and evils in anti-epidemic tasks”.

“The current security situation carries the danger of getting worse,” said Kim, who also urged the country “achieve the goal of increasing your defensive capabilities as soon as possible” to shore up its sovereignty and reaffirmed the principle of “fight power with power”, according to the state news agency KCNA.

These guidelines come after Pyongyang has carried out a record number of missile tests so far this year, 18, and after the successive signs detected by Washington and Seoul in North Korean nuclear facilities that point to a new imminent atomic test, which would be the first since 2017.

During the plenary session of the single party, the appointment as new foreign minister of Choe Son-Hui, until now North Korean deputy foreign minister and who had previously been in charge of nuclear weapons issues and negotiations with the United States, was also decided.

The hitherto foreign minister, Ri Son-gwon, will become in charge of inter-Korean relations, according to KCNA.

On the pandemic, Kim pointed out the need to “strengthen the foundations of the health system” and to analyze the “shortcomings” detected during the moment of “maximum emergency”, after the regime confirmed on May 12 for the first time the presence of covid in its territory.

“Only when anti-epidemic policy is applied in a strict, scientific and advanced way, can it be successful,” said Kim, who called for “continuous improvement of the anti-contagion system and methods.”

The hermetic regime, which has been rejecting the vaccine shipments proposed by South Korea or the COVAX fund, reported 42,810 new possible covid infections this Saturday, bringing the total to 4.39 million possible infections. North Korean media did not offer additional data on deaths.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.