On November 20th, USFK Commander Paul LaCamera stated that North Korea is prioritizing the preservation of Kim Jong Un’s regime.
During a hearing of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, LaCamera was asked what he thought Kim Jong Un, the Secretary General of the North Korean Workers’ Party, intended when considering recent provocative actions by North Korea. He responded, “The top priority is the regime’s survival.”
He added, “He (Secretary Kim) is developing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in pursuit of sanctions relief for regime survival,” adding, “He’s preparing to defend his country.”
When asked if he thought North Korea would attack South Korea, LaCamera replied, “Like other countries, North Korea is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.” He also said, “As they’re currently in their winter training cycle, Kim Jong Un is testing (military) equipment and providing equipment to Russia for use in the war in Ukraine, allowing Russia to test some of his equipment.”
During the hearing, LaCamera emphasized the importance of US-South Korea joint training, stating, “I am confident that North Korea is not only reacting to our activities but is also reflecting on them in many ways. We must continue physical and mental preparation through operations and activities to compete with North Korea in the gray zone.”
He also stressed, “We must continue to invest in the 28,500 US troops in South Korea, including bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral training, to defend South Korea both on and off the peninsula.”
He added that continuous testing of next-generation capabilities is also necessary.