North Korea issued three statements and commentaries on May 17. This leaves the door open for potential military provocations in the future. The country repeatedly affirmed its position to justify its weapons development process, blaming the U.S. and South Korea for the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula.
Deputy Director of the Workers’ Party Kim Yo Jong, released a statement through the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 17, stating that their recently revealed tactical weapons, including multiple rocket launchers and missiles, are not for export to Russia but to use against its Southern counterpart. She threatened that as hostile forces intensify their sinister political plots against North Korea, they will actively carry out necessary activities. This suggests that North Korea will continue its military actions, including weapons development. Kim Jong Un also hinted at possibly provoking the U.S. and South Korea. He stated that as military threats from the U.S. and South Korea persist, and South Korea escalates its aggressive stance, “the dark clouds and shadow of the curse will hang heavier over their heads.”
The Workers’ Party’s official media Rodong Sinmun, also expressed opposition and caution towards the U.S. and South Korea joint military exercise Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) scheduled for August in a commentary reported on May 17.
The commentary threatened, “The opaque situation where we cannot predict when and how the nuclear strike exercise targeting our republic and taking place near our southern border will turn into actual combat shows that we can only trust our overwhelming power to suppress the enemy,” and “If the U.S. and its followers try to test our strength and with provocative actions such as large-scale joint military exercises, they should first consider the disastrous consequences.”
The media also claimed through a military commentator that “as the visits of uninvited guests from across the ocean become more frequent, incidents contributing to the completion of our war preparations will also increase.” They added, “The military provocations of the U.S. and South Korea against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will inevitably face frustration due to our strong, practical response to defend the safety of the nation and the peace of the region.”
The statements and commentaries released on May 17 indirectly suggest that North Korea could resort to military provocations in the future, pointing out that U.S. and South Korea’s military actions cause their increased defense capabilities and military provocations.
Phrases that were used in the KCNA commentary, such as “overwhelming power to suppress the enemy” and “disastrous consequences,” imply the possibility of military provocations in response to the joint exercises in August. KCNA’s military commentary also emphasizes the potential for a stronger military response with phrases like “completion of war preparations” and “strong practical response.”
North Korea’s most recent provocation was the launch of a short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) and a 600mm (23.6 inches) super-large multiple rocket launcher on April 22nd. During this time, North Korea also pointed to the U.S. and South Korea Combined Forces Command’s comprehensive training (KFT) as the reason for the provocation, saying that they conducted the training within the nuclear trigger system, a comprehensive management system for national nuclear weapons.
It appears that North Korea is strategically releasing statements to establish a pretext for future tests of new weapons systems. Especially since they were supposed to launch three reconnaissance satellites this year but haven’t launched even one as of mid-May, they might be setting the stage for a satellite launch, which the international community considers a provocation.
Meanwhile, some speculate that the three statements released on May 17 are intended to reinforce the content of the summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin that took place on May 16th.
After their summit in Beijing, the two leaders stated in a joint statement that “both countries oppose military threats by the U.S. and its allies that could escalate confrontation with North Korea and lead to an increased tension on the Korean Peninsula.”
