IRIA News

North Korean top leadership strongly criticized a recent joint military exercise by South Korea, Japan, and the United States, calling it the “Asian version of NATO,” during the Tenth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

The meeting, which began on June 28 and continued through June 29, focused on reviewing the party’s performance for the first half of 2024. Kim Jong Un chaired the event, during which he highlighted the achievements and challenges faced by the state.

The meeting also focused on the nation’s response to external threats. During the meeting, North Korean officials criticized the growing partnership between the U.S. and its East Asian allies. Pyongyang denounced these drills as rehearsals for invasion and proof of hostile policies by Washington and Seoul.

The recent exercise between the three nations, named “Freedom Edge,” involved navy destroyers, fighter jets, and the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt.

North Korea’s foreign ministry stated that Pyongyang would not ignore the strengthening of a military bloc led by the U.S. and its allies. It vowed to protect regional peace with an “aggressive and overwhelming response.” The ministry also accused the U.S. of trying to link South Korea and Japan to NATO and criticized South Korea’s potential arms supply to Ukraine.

In response, Seoul’s defense ministry said that the exercise was aimed at countering North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. Both South Korea and the U.S. have accused North Korea of supplying weapons to Russia for use in the Ukraine war, a claim both Russia and North Korea deny. South Korea is considering supplying arms directly to Ukraine, especially considering a recent mutual defense pact between Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The developments come amid ongoing tensions on the Korean peninsula, with North Korea continually condemning joint drills between the U.S. and South Korea as aggressive and provocative. Last year, the U.S., South Korea, and Japan conducted joint naval missile defense and anti-submarine exercises to improve their response to North Korean threats.

North Korean officials wear Kim Jong Un pins

In a striking development aimed at bolstering Kim Jong Un’s role as North Korea’s supreme leader, high-level officials in Pyongyang wore pins featuring his portrait in public for the first time during the meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea.

“The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un referred to the achievements made in the implementation of the Party and state policies in the first half of 2024,” North Korea’s state media, Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), reported. The media outlet emphasized the importance of overcoming obstacles to ensure stable and sustainable economic development.

The Tenth Plenary Meeting, which reviews the party’s performance for the first half of the year, began on Friday, according to KCNA. The Kim dynasty, which has ruled North Korea since its founding after World War II, has consistently sought to strengthen its grip on power by building cults of personality around its leaders.

Earlier this year, North Korean media showcased photographs of Kim Jong Un’s portrait prominently displayed alongside those of Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, reinforcing his image as an equal to the nation’s founding figures. This visual affirmation was part of an apparent push to solidify his status and continuity of leadership.

During the second-day sitting of the plenary meeting on June 29, Kim Jong Un addressed the achievements and obstacles faced in implementing the party and state policies in the first half of 2024. He outlined the main tasks for the second half of the year, emphasizing the need to ensure the economy’s stable and sustainable development. Reports and speeches on the agenda items were presented, with leading officials expressing their constructive opinions.