[Focus 인사이드]What is the conclusion of the discussion of the North Korean Labor Party’s evaluation of Kim Jong-un’s ten years in power?

North Korea’s 8th Party Congress ended on the 12th, 8 days later. Since then, Pyongyang has been showing excitement with commemorative performances and other celebrations of the Party Congress. In particular, the 8th Party Congress is like a 10-year event for the Kim Jong-un regime.

Ten years ago, the sudden death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il (2011), a new young leader emerged. Kim Jong-un, who was 30 years old, was the chairman of the North Korean State Council. Kim Jong-un quickly passed through the process of inheriting the power of his father, Kim Jong-il.

First, Chairman Kim became the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, took control of the army, and set out to gain power in a’first military politics’ style. The’first military politics’ style of power requires’war’ in any form. This is to show off the military leadership that led to victory by commanding the’war’.

It is not irrelevant to this that Kim’s behavior has been devoted to military projects since his appointment as the Supreme Commander. Most of his official activities were filled with direct links to military projects, including military field maps. By artificially creating a state of rhetoric war called’nuclear war against the United States’, he led it and led two summits between the United States and North Korea, emphasizing that he was the leader of the’victory of the war against the United States’.

The reason that North Korea launched various missile tests or conducted nuclear tests publicly is also interpreted as a means to justify the supreme command of Kim Jong-un in the’first politics’ style. The long-range missile test launch and the success of the nuclear test were made conscious in the way that it was achieved with the leadership of Chairman Kim Jong-un.

In the end, the North Korean authorities assessed at this 8th party congress as “a respectful comrade Kim Jong-un, who possesses genius foreknowledge, outstanding leadership, strong courage and determination, and confidently leads our party and people on a path of brilliant victory and glory.” It came to be derived.

The 8th Party Congress, held in the 10th year of the Kim Jong-un regime, seems to have presented a milestone starting from the creation of the’Seongun Politics’ regime and moving to the Ganghwa period. In the report of the 8th Party Congress, the word’Seongun’ disappeared, but this does not mean that he gave up the’Seongun politics’. The “first military politics” that prioritized strengthening military power appeared in a more reinforced form.

‘Seongun politics’ in the Kim Jong-il era has two meanings. These are the contents of advocating’military affairs as the state history of the state’ and protecting the regime with the’People’s Army’ in the lead. In the Kim Jong-un era, the leading role of the military regime was greatly reduced. Instead, it strengthened the control of the armed forces through the party so that it remained as the party’s army, that is, the socialist army.

In addition, the’seongun politics’ in the Kim Jong-un era contains the meaning of giving priority to strengthening military power. Specifically, the policy to strengthen the defense industry based on the nuclear and missile development and the heavy and chemical industry concentration policy has been put at the forefront and has been continuously maintained. As a result, it is difficult to deny that it is one of the most essential features of the 8th Party Congress in North Korea to show off realist foreign and South Korean policies through military power, that is, power.

In the report of the party meeting, North Korea emphasized strengthening its’national defense capabilities’ in order to complete’preparation for the civil war’. It is premised that the balance of power is being destroyed in the international society due to the increased armament of the’US and hostile forces (Korea)’. At the same time, North Korea announced that it should reinforce its military strength until it resolves the vicious circle of’warfare and mitigation’ and’conversation and tension’, and ends the’threat and blackmail’ of’hostile forces’.

On the other hand, North Korea said, “Korea should stop bringing in’advanced military equipment’ and combined military exercises with the US.” However, he did not hesitate to pose a direct and drastic threat that if South Korea rejects such requests from North Korea, “we will have to deal with South Korea (South Korea) differently.” In addition to this, he said he maintains a strategy of confronting the hostile forces and the great powers that wield the power.

In terms of inter-Korean relations, North Korea’s threat has already been realized by bombing the inter-Korean liaison office in the Kaesong Industrial Complex. On the 12th, Vice-President Kim Yeo-jeong criticized the ROK military authorities for capturing the situation of a fever in North Korea as a’special nerd,’ and announced an unusual statement threatening that “it will have to be calculated after all.” I am concerned about what kind of military threats that Vice Minister Kim Yeo-jeong’s verbal threat will become in the future.

North Korea’s aggressive message and behavior toward South Korea is becoming more blatant after their declaration of completion of nuclear armament. He is developing an unrealistic logic of’what he does is romance’. North Korea’s behavior that threatens South Korea is increasing day by day.

In particular, North Korea justifies strengthening of military power, including nuclear missiles, as strengthening defense power in the sense of self-defense, and denies strengthening South Korea’s military power as a hostile act. North Korea even expressed a willingness to retaliate for strengthening South Korea’s military power. From a bilateral standpoint between the two Koreas, North Korea’s logic is inexplicable.

In addition, North Korea must expel the United States from the Korean peninsula, as the “wonder” that is hurting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula is the United States. They urge the South and the North to work together there. Their strengthening of military power, including nuclear missiles, is justified as it is a means of expelling the United States, and the modernization of South Korea’s military power is denied as being a hostile act against North Korea. Accordingly, South Korea is forced to stop hostilities against North Korea by strengthening its military power and to be prepared to participate in their’anti-American war’. It’s a whole factoring idea.

In North Korea, since the’first military politics’ is a decisive factor in preventing US policy on the Korean Peninsula through strong military deterrence and weakening US domination over South Korea, North Korea protects the security of the Korean Peninsula, including South Korea.

According to North Korea’s initiative, South Korea’s security is subordinated to the North Korean-style security frame on the Korean Peninsula. To this end, through the 8th Party Congress, North Korea further initiated an offensive against the US and South Korea that could lead to the suspension of joint training between the US and the ROK, the abolition of the US-Korea alliance, and the withdrawal of US forces in Korea. Therefore, the government and the military must prepare for the tactics that North Korea uses nuclear missiles to damage the ROK-US alliance, and reexamine our security posture.

Young-Tae Chung, Chair Professor, Dongyang University