N. Korea’s Kim Jong Un orders ‘immediate military action’ amid tensions with South
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (C) delivering a speech at Kim Jong Un University of National Defence for its 60th founding anniversary in Pyongyang, North Korea on October 7, 2024. (AFP Photo via KCNA)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened a top national security meeting Monday, directing plans for “immediate military action” as tensions with South Korea continue to rise, according to state media.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the meeting in Pyongyang included senior military officials such as the army chief, as well as the ministers of state security and defense. Kim laid out strategies for the “operation of the war deterrent and the exercise of the right to self-defense.”
This high-level security meeting comes on the heels of accusations from Pyongyang that Seoul flew drones over North Korean territory. The North Korean military claims that these drones dropped propaganda leaflets filled with “inflammatory rumors and rubbish.” KCNA said officials discussed the “enemy’s serious provocation” during the session, signaling that the drones are at the center of the rising tensions.
On Sunday, the North warned that another drone flight would be considered “a declaration of war.” Despite these accusations, South Korea has denied involvement in the drone activity. Some local reports suggest that activist groups in the South, known for sending propaganda and U.S. currency into North Korea by balloon, may be responsible.
The United Nations Command, which oversees the armistice that ended hostilities in the Korean War (1950-1953), confirmed it is investigating the drone claims under the guidelines of the Armistice Agreement.
Tensions between the two Koreas have escalated in recent weeks. South Korean military officials said Monday they are “fully ready” to respond to any potential North Korean aggression. Both nations remain technically at war, as the Korean War ended without a formal peace treaty.
Kim Jong Un’s remarks at the meeting underscored a “tough political and military stand,” according to state media, further signaling the potential for increased hostilities along the heavily fortified border between the two countries.
