• March Sees 90% of Kim Jong-un's Public Engagements in Military, With Just a Single Nod to the Economy
• North Korea Disclosed Russian Spy Chief’s Visit, Highlighting Strong Ties with Russia
• North Korea Expresses Displeasure Over South Korea-Cuba Diplomatic Ties, Excludes Cuba from ‘April Spring Friendship Art Festival’ Guest List
March Sees 90% of Kim Jong-un's Public Engagements in Military, With Just a Single Nod to the Economy
In March, 90% of North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un's activities emphasized military affairs, nearly doubling past figures. This surge, analysts suggest, might respond to growing tensions with South Korea, exacerbated by intensified US-South Korea drills.
<Kim Jong-un oversees a major tank exercise on the 13th, unveiling new tanks in a show of readiness against South Korea. / Photo by Korean Central News Agency>
North Korean media reports reveal Kim Jong-un participated in eight public activities in March, with seven, or 90%, focused on military endeavors.
Kim Jong-un's military engagements in March included visits to a pivotal training base on the 6th, overseeing joint artillery training on the 7th, leading a significant tank drill on the 13th, directing aviation unit training on the 15th, supervising artillery shooting training on the 18th, guiding tests of solid-fuel boosters for new hypersonic missiles on the 20th, and inspecting the Seoul Ryu Kyong-su 105th Tank Division and the 1st Tank Armored Infantry Division on the 25th, among other activities.
The increase in military-related public activities in March seems linked to the US-South Korea joint exercise 'Freedom Shield'. North Korea responded with public announcements on defense speeches and military training. Kim Jong-un emphasized military preparedness, bolstering capabilities, and advancing military industry during this period.
Kim Jong-un's engagement in military-related public activities was similarly notable, with reports emerging eight times throughout January and February.
This indicates Kim Jong-un's practical measures to enhance readiness for war, following the directive issued during the 9th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee of the WPK in December of the previous year.
Their highlighting artillery, armor, and special forces underscores the importance of conventional weaponry and specialized units in prolonged conflicts, informed by recent analyses of conflicts like Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Hamas.
North Korea Disclosed Russian Spy Chief’s Visit, Highlighting Strong Ties with Russia
A chief from the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service made a visit to North Korea to discuss various practical matters aimed at bolstering cooperation. The unusual step of disclosing such a visit, typically held in confidentiality, signals an intent to highlight the all-encompassing collaboration between North Korea and Russia.
According to North Korea's Rodong Sinmun, Sergey Yevgenyevich Naryshkin, the Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, visited Pyongyang from March 25th to 27th.
Throughout his stay, Director Naryshkin engaged in discussions with Ri Chang-dae, the North Korean Minister of State Security, alongside practical meetings. The report elaborated that the dialogues delved into the international and regional circumstances encircling the Korean Peninsula and Russia, addressing the need to enhance collaboration against the increasing espionage schemes by adversarial forces.
This marks the first visit by the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service to North Korea in 13 years since May 2011, when the service met with Chairman Kim Jong-il.
By publicly disclosing the visit, North Korea aims to demonstrate the depth of its relationship with Russia, spanning political, military, and economic collaborations.
Reportedly, an economic delegation headed by Yun Jong-ho, North Korea's Minister of the Ministry of External Economic Relations, visited Russia on March 27th to explore opportunities for cooperation in economic and trade sectors.
North Korea Expresses Displeasure Over South Korea-Cuba Diplomatic Ties, Excludes Cuba from ‘April Spring Friendship Art Festival’ Guest List
North Korea, in response to Cuba's recent diplomatic ties with South Korea, removed Cuba from the guest list of the April Spring Friendship Art Festival, which celebrates Kim Il-sung's birthday, known as the 'Day of the Sun,' signaling discontent with the new alliance.
According to the Rodong Sinmun, the April Spring Friendship Art Festival is set to feature esteemed art, dance, and acrobatic groups from various nations, excluding the Cuban delegation. This contrasts with the previous November announcement on the festival's website, which listed participating countries such as Russia, Laos, and Cuba for the event scheduled from April 11th to 25th.
Initially, the committee had listed Cuba as the third highlight in the "Invitation-related news" on their website, citing Cuban cultural entities' recommendations for various groups to participate, including the Unaccompanied Mixed Choir and the Contra Guitar Duo, among others.
Following, Cuba's participation announcement was deleted from the festival's website. While posts one through twenty remain, the entry about Cuba's participation has been intentionally removed.
The removal suggests North Korea's displeasure with Cuba for engaging diplomatically with South Korea. Since the announcement on the 14th, North Korea has omitted any mention of Cuba in state media.
On the 18th, one month after the South Korea-Cuba diplomatic announcement, Rodong Sinmun covered a meeting between Ma Chol-su, North Korea's Ambassador to Cuba, and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. This suggests the possibility of blaming Ambassador Ma, and North Korea has not disclosed any appointment of a new ambassador to Cuba.