North Korean state media reported on Wednesday that around 1.4 million young people had applied to join or rejoin the military, blaming South Korea for a drone incursion that has pushed the situation “to the brink of war.” This surge in enlistments comes in response to rising tensions between the two Koreas.
North Korea’s Accusations Against Seoul
North Korea accused South Korea of sending drones over Pyongyang last week, which allegedly scattered a large number of anti-North Korean leaflets. In retaliation, North Korea blew up sections of inter-Korean roads and rail lines on Tuesday and issued a stern warning, stating the South “would pay a dear price.”
According to North Korea’s official KCNA news agency, the young volunteers, including students and youth league officials, were prepared to fight in a “sacred war of destroying the enemy with the arms of the revolution.” The report added, “If a war breaks out, the ROK will be wiped off the map.”
While such claims from North Korea are difficult to verify, this is not the first time the regime has made similar statements. Last year, state media reported 800,000 citizens volunteering to fight against the United States, and in 2017, it claimed that 3.5 million people had signed up to serve during a period of heightened tensions.
North Korea’s Military Strength
According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), North Korea has approximately 1.28 million active soldiers, 600,000 reservists, and 5.7 million Worker/Peasant Red Guard reservists. The KCNA’s current report suggests that North Korea is again using patriotic rhetoric to bolster its military ranks amid its standoff with the South.
Rising Regional Tensions
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula continue to flare, with vice foreign ministers from South Korea, the United States, and Japan scheduled to hold talks in Seoul on Wednesday. Amid these rising tensions, an official from Seoul’s unification ministry suggested that Pyongyang is using these incidents to consolidate internal unity and justify future provocations.
North Korea’s economy, already struggling, could also be adding to internal pressure on Kim Jong Un, said the official. Analysts like Park Won-gon from Ewha Womans University in Seoul have pointed out that North Korea’s actions align with its recent strategy of severing cross-border ties and promoting a “two-state” system, a significant shift from earlier ambitions of unification.
Harsh Rhetoric and a “Two-State” System
Kim Jong Un has declared South Korea the North’s “primary foe” and indicated that unification is no longer possible. The North has been steadily taking steps to sever ties with Seoul, a move analysts see as part of Kim’s attempt to establish a permanent divide between the two Koreas.
The two nations remain technically at war, as the Korean War (1950-1953) ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Recent events have escalated the already tense relations, with both sides clashing over balloon campaigns, where each country accuses the other of sending propaganda or harmful materials across the border.
According to Jenny Town of the U.S.-based Stimson Center, Kim Jong Un appears to be focused on solidifying his legacy by fundamentally altering the status quo on the Korean Peninsula, ensuring a permanent two-state system.
(With inputs from Reuters)
