North Korea recently criticized Japan’s announcement of plans to deploy new domestically produced missiles, labeling it an attempt to secure preemptive strike capabilities.
The Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, published a commentary from the Korean Central News Agency on its sixth page on Monday titled, Japan’s Reckless Military Maneuvers Accelerating Its Self-Destruction, the article argued that Japan’s disclosure of plans to deploy Type 12 surface-to-ship missiles with a 1,000-kilometer (about 621 miles) range is not intended to deter any threat. Instead, it claimed that this move is entirely focused on securing Japan’s preemptive strike capabilities to fulfill its ambitions of a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.
On the front page, an article titled, Self-Reliance and Self-Empowerment Are the Revolutionary Spirit of a Strong Nation’s People, urged citizens to fully implement the decisions made at the 12th Plenary Meeting of the 8th Central Committee. The paper called on all officials, party members, and workers to usher in a new era of comprehensive national prosperity through a spirit of self-reliance.
On the second page, the paper referenced Kim Jong Un’s self-reliant economic construction policy, emphasizing the need to improve and complete the self-reliant economic structure. This would be achieved by modernizing, digitalizing, and advancing the people’s economy through scientific methods. The article stressed that providing citizens with prosperous and civilized living conditions is a strategic objective of the socialist ruling party, highlighting the regime’s people-first policy.
The third page reported that Pyongyang has made significant strides in establishing the material and technical foundation for agriculture in recent years, achieving record results. It encouraged other cities and party committees to emulate this success in revitalizing rural areas. The paper also emphasized that cultivating talent is the most important aspect of farming, underscoring the significance of agricultural vocational and technical schools.
The fourth page featured the tenth installment of the series From Mount Baekdu to Mount Songak, focusing on Songchon County in South Pyongan Province. The article mentioned the local industrial plant in Songchon County, completed on December 21 last year under the Local Development 20X10 Policy. It claimed that this development would accelerate the realization of the prosperous society envisioned by the people.
The fifth page called on the scientific community to mobilize in order to implement the decisions of the 8th Party Congress. It urged scientists and engineers to keep the party’s expectations and trust in mind as they continue to focus on fulfilling the five-year plan.