N. Korea's vow to 'exponentially' increase nuclear arsenal; why quiet on Kim's birthday?
김정은 39번째 생일 北, 왜 공식 행사나 도발 없었나 Hello everyone, happy hump day. Welcome to "Within the Frame" where we delve deeper into the top stories taking place not only in South Korea but across the globe. I am Kim Bo-kyoung. After North Korea defined South Korea as an "undoubted enemy" and called for efforts to "exponentially" increase its nuclear arsenal and mass-produce tactical nuclear weapons, the Peninsula has fallen into escalated tensions. A mass rally took place in Pyongyang last week with hundreds of thousands of people showing firm determination to adhere to the goals laid out in the plenary meeting. And so, eyes were on January 8th --North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's birthday, whether there might be some major provocations, proving how firm the regime is. But in the end, January 8th was rather quiet. Why was the reclusive regime so silent? Should we pay attention to other dates in near future? What is North Korea's situation like right now? For an in-depth analysis on the isolated regime that is close, but feels far away, we have Doctor Go Myong-hyun, Senior fellow at Asan Institute for Policy Studies in the studio with us, hello Doctor Go, welcome to the show. And we also have Shreyas Reddy, correspondent at NK News Seoul also in the studio with us. Shreyas, thank you for your time. Q1. Last Thursday, North Korea held a mass rally in Pyongyang with some 100-thousand workers, students and members of the Workers’ Party of Korea at the May Day Stadium, showing firm determination to thoroughly implement the policy goals laid out during the plenary meeting late last year. Is this a usual event? And what does such an event imply? Q2. During the mass rally, 12 sectors where party expects improvements in 2023 were introduced and propaganda posters were rolled out – each focusing on key sectors like agriculture, fertilizer and fishing. Would this mean the North Korean economy is one of top priorities for the regime? Q3. The posters, according to NK News, stressed that authorities plan to hold major state celebrations on July 27th for the 70th anniversary of “victory in the Fatherland Liberation War” and September 9th, the day of the 75th national founding anniversary. Would this mean a 7th nuclear test or any other major provocation could take place around that time? Q4. Kim Jong-un turned 39 on January 8th, but North Korea stayed silent with no other provocations nor mention from state media such as the Korean Central News Agency or Rodong Sinmun. Why so? Q5. The reclusive regime officially commemorates birthdays of the leader’s late grandfather Kim Il-sung and father Kim Jung-il – calling them the Day of the Sun and the Day of the Shining Star. Yet, the regime has not designated the incumbent leader’s birthday as a formal anniversary. Why not? Q6. Though it was quiet, North Korea has reportedly tightened security by putting a special security period from January sixth to tenth – which was two days longer than last year according to RFA’s source. The cited source said the security and patrol personnel doubled as Kim’s birthday comes right after it officially defined the South as an “undoubted enemy.” Is such enhanced security related to South Korea, or is there other reason we can guess? Q7. Regarding the signs North Korea had shown of preparing a military parade at Mirim training ground last month, pundits originally expected it to be held on Kim Jong-un’s birthday. But now, could we say such signs of training suggest a military parade is slated for February 8th, marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Korean People's Army? Q8. Now to Pyongyang’s recent provocations against the South, some say North Korea is following China’s provocation patterns against Taiwan. What similarity does it show and what implication does it give? Q9. North Korea’s drone infiltration into South Korean airspace caught defense authorities off guard and there are concerns regarding national security. Professor, are South Korea's defense capabilities okay? What kind of improvement do you believe should be made? Q10. Under the Yoon administration, South Korea is adopting “tit-for-tat” policy to respond to North Korea’s provocations. How do you see 2023 on Korean peninsula... #NorthKorea #Birthday #Arirang_News 📣 Facebook : / arirangtvnews 📣 Twitter : / arirangtvnews 📣 Homepage : https://v2.arirang.com/ 2023-01-11, 18:30 (KST)
