North Korea's Kim Presents New Military Goals

Facts

• North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Tuesday reportedly unveiled new goals for military development and stated that the country will "maintain" a struggle against enemy states in 2023 as foreign policy plans are expected to be detailed in the year-end party plenum final report.
• State news agency KCNA claimed that these targets are intended to strengthen the country's self-defense capabilities "under the multilaterally challenging situation" but didn't elaborate on what they might entail.
• This announcement comes after Kim's comments on Monday –the first day of the three-day party gathering– suggested that the regime will not slow down its pursuit or testing of weapons of mass destruction next year.
• During the plenary gathering, Kim also referred to "a series of serious shortcomings" observed this year in areas such as science, education, and health, suggested ways to overcome them, and raised key tasks for next year.
• The eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party unanimously approved five major agenda items, including the review of major state policies for 2022 and the work plan and draft budget for 2023, as Kim urged major goals to be achieved in key industrial sectors next year.
• This high-level meeting is being held amid soaring tensions in the Korean Peninsula as North Korean drones crossed into the South on Monday, capping a year of unprecedented Pyongyang missile tests and US-South Korea large-scale joint military drills.

Sources: NK News, Washington Post, Korea Joong Ang Daily, Daily Mail, Korea Herald, and Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by China Daily. It's up to the US to put an end to mutual provocations and threats, but it has instead strengthened alliances and boosted joint military drills around the Korean Peninsula while Western propaganda machines spread misinformation to raise suspicion and distrust against Pyongyang. The only way to prevent an open conflict is for the US to cease hostilities and address North Korea's calls for sanctions to be dropped.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by VOA. The US has sought for years to strike a deal with Pyongyang to contain North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, but all viable options have been exhausted as Kim's regime refuses to engage in dialogue. Now, it's time for Washington to increase defense cooperation with regional partners Japan and South Korea to focus on deterring Pyongyang from using its weapons to launch attacks against them.

Predictions