North Korea has once again condemned Ukraine’s use of American-backed weapons to attack the Crimean Peninsula on the 23rd as an “extremely inhumane act.” This claim is interpreted as the intention to secure the justification of supporting weapons to Russia.
On the 27th, North Korea’s Minister of National Defense Kang Sun Nam pointed out in a statement published in the Rodong Sinmun, “Ukraine used the ATACMS, a long-range tactical ballistic missile provided by the United States, equipped with cluster bombs,” adding, “As a result, there were three deaths, including two children, and over 150 injuries.” Kang argued, “The United States has solidified its position as a directly concerned party and terrorism-supporting state to the Ukrainian conflict, and it’s been proven that the weapons the U.S. provides to Ukraine are being used as tools for the mass killing of peaceful Russian residents.”
He delineated the logic that Russia’s direct reprisal against the U.S. is justified, stating, “Sin always leads to punishment,” and “The U.S., which has become a party to the Ukrainian war, has no excuse for any revenge from Russia. Such retaliatory attacks will be the most legitimate defense.”
He advocated Russia by stating, “We will always stand with the Russian army and people who are fighting for justice to protect their country’s sovereign rights and safety.” On the same day, North Korea criticized the U.S. through a commentary by the Korean Central News Agency titled “Those Who Commit Demoniac Acts Will Not Escape the Harsh Punishment of History,” stating, “This atrocity was deliberately and systematically committed by the U.S.”
The commentary emphasized, “The problem is that Ukraine’s bloody massacre happened as soon as the U.S. approved the lifting of restrictions on the use of American weapons related to attacks on the Russian mainland,” adding, “Russia’s stronger response to protect national interests and the safety of its people becomes an irrefutable justifiable right of self-defense.”
North Korea had previously denounced the U.S.’s military support for Ukraine and sided with Russia through a speech by Pak Jong Chon, Vice-Chairman of the Workers’ Party Central Military Commission and the leader of North Korean military officials.
In response, Professor Yang Moo Jin of the University of North Korean Studies analyzed, “It’s to clearly state that the U.S. is behind Ukraine and to support the legitimacy of Russia’s retaliatory attack,” emphasizing, “This is linked to the validation of North Korea’s weapons support to Russia as a defender of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine through speeches.”
He added, “This means that they will continue to provide human and material support for such just wars based on the agreement between the North Korean and Russian leaders.”
The fact that North Korea is denouncing the U.S. military support for Ukraine through consecutive speeches by top military officials seems to be an attempt to show both domestically and internationally that the military of North Korea and Russia are closely aligned. This speech was also published in the Rodong Sinmun, which seems to be intended to create a pro-Russian atmosphere throughout society.
North Korea and Russia are considered to have effectively restored their military alliance by signing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement at the summit on the 19th.