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On Aug. 10 the state-run Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, had reached an “important conclusion on further stepping up the war preparations of the KPA in an offensive way,” during a meeting of the WPK Central Military Commission on Aug. 9. The article ran with photos of Kim gesturing toward the general area of Seoul on a map of the Korean Peninsula. (KCNA/Yonhap)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convened an enlarged meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK), where he decided on “offensive military countermeasures,” the Rodong Sinmun reported on Thursday.

As this is akin to a forewarning of strategic military action such as an intercontinental ballistic missile launch, it can be interpreted that Pyongyang is determined to respond in kind to the approaching South Korea-US-Japan summit, scheduled to be held at Camp David in the US on Aug. 18, as well as Freedom Shield, a joint military exercise between South Korea and the US slated to take place from Aug. 21 to Aug. 24.

According to the Rodong Sinmun, the seventh enlarged meeting of the eighth Central Military Commission of the WPK presided over by Kim and held at the office building of the Central Committee of the WPK on Wednesday “analyzed the military moves of the chief culprits of deteriorated situation that disturb peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and its vicinity, and decided on the plans for offensive military countermeasures to thoroughly deter them.”

The paper added that Kim “signed the written order on the important military measures discussed and decided by the Central Military Commission of the WPK” and “made an important conclusion on further stepping up the war preparations of the KPA in an offensive way,” referring to the North Korean army.

Among the pictures featured on the paper taken from the meeting, one depicted Kim pointing at Seoul and its surrounding areas on a map of the Korean Peninsula. An official at the Ministry of Unification commented, “[Kim] seems to have pointed at the Seoul metropolitan area and the Daejeon area,” where South Korea’s Army Headquarters and Navy Headquarters are located, adding, “The action seems to send a threatening message in response to the upcoming South Korea-US joint military exercises.”

Moreover, the Rodong Sinmun reported that Kim set a production goal for weapons and equipment by “underlin[ing] the need for all the munitions industrial establishments to push ahead with mass-production of various weapons and equipment.” This is noteworthy, as it may have been prompted by considerations for weapons exports to Russia.

From Aug. 3 to Aug. 5, Kim visited various munitions factories, where he proposed “the important orientation of the national defence economic work,” including the mass production of “new kinds of ammunition.” This may have been a follow-up measure after North Korea and Russia agreed to strengthen military cooperation during Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit to North Korea to attend the celebration for the 70th anniversary of the ceasefire agreement, during which Kim toured the “Weaponry Exhibition-2023” with Shoigu and the Russian military delegation.

The fact that Kim repeatedly encouraged the “mass-production of various weapons and equipment” during his two public engagements following his meeting with the Russian military delegation draws interest. The UN prohibits any and all kinds of arms deals with North Korea.

During Wednesday’s meeting, the issue of preparing a civilian “militia parade” composed of the Worker-Peasant Red Guards, the social security unit, and firefighters instead of the KPA to mark the 75th anniversary of the founding of North Korea was also discussed, the Rodong Sinmun reported.

By Lee Je-hun, senior staff writer

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