On Thursday, marking the 76th anniversary of the Korean War, North Korea ramped up its hostility towards the U.S. and South Korea, declaring that regardless of how the situation evolves, they must not harbor even the slightest illusion or attachment to peace with the enemy.
The ruling party’s mouthpiece, Rodong Sinmun, published a front-page editorial titled, Let All Citizens Become Revolutionary Guardians and Vanguard Fighters of the Class, Firmly Armed with Anti-Imperialist Class Consciousness. The piece called for ideological reinforcement, asserting that class struggle allows no room for minor concessions or compromises, and that they must resolutely confront imperialists to the bitter end – a fundamental truth of class struggle and a fighting spirit that all citizens must embrace.
The editorial continued that the current adversaries are the descendants of the U.S. imperialists and class enemies who brought the dark clouds of invasion to the land in the 1950s, inflicting wounds that can never fully heal. It emphasized that ensuring new generations steadfastly carry on the torch of class struggle is a critical mission directly linked to the fate of the nation and the future of the revolution.
The newspaper justified bolstering national defense capabilities, stating that to prevent a recurrence of the Korean War that devastated this land 76 years ago, it must possess overwhelming strength to subdue aggressive opponents. It must become stronger and ever stronger – this is the iron-clad lesson that June 25 imparts to them.
North Korea, which refers to the Korean War as the Fatherland Liberation War, typically designates the period from June 25 to Victory Day (July 27, the day of the armistice signing) as the Month of Joint Anti-American Struggle, using this time to stoke anti-American sentiment through rallies and events.
This year appears to follow a similar pattern with events taking place across the country. The newspaper reported that youth and students held a vengeance pledge meeting the previous day at the outdoor theater in Pyongyang’s Youth Park. A lecturer from the Central Class Education Hall reportedly delivered a speech exposing and condemning the unforgivable atrocities committed by U.S. imperialists against our people during the Fatherland Liberation War.
The newspaper also reported that women’s union officials and members held a vengeance pledge meeting at the Central Class Education Hall in Pyongyang, where they vehemently condemned the heinous crimes of U.S. imperialists in the name of all mothers and women across the nation. Additionally, it stated that numerous workers, soldiers, and youth visited historical sites related to the Fatherland Liberation War.
In a page 6 editorial titled, U.S. Imperialists: The Instigators of the Korean War, the newspaper squarely blamed the United States for the outbreak of the conflict.
The article claimed that following World War II, the U.S. targeted the Korean Peninsula for invasion as part of its global hegemony strategy, pushing for South Korean military expansion, armed provocations, and invasion planning even before the war’s onset. It further alleged that the U.S. seized control of the South Korean military command, provided weapons and military aid, and shifted South Korean forces to an offensive posture just prior to the war’s outbreak.
Moreover, the newspaper asserted that the United Nations (UN) Security Council resolutions at the time were manipulated by the U.S., and that the so-called UN forces were merely a front to legitimize the invasion. The editorial concluded that truth cannot be buried and will never be erased, claiming that the Korean War, which it alleges was triggered by the U.S. invasion script, stands as historical evidence exposing America’s true identity as a war criminal.
